10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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287 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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296 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
298 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
301 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
302 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
303 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
304 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
305 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
306 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
307 License'' in the Emacs manual.
309 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
310 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
311 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
313 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
314 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
315 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
316 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
324 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
326 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
327 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
329 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
330 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
331 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
332 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
333 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
334 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
335 License'' in the Emacs manual.
337 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
338 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
339 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
341 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
342 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
343 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
344 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
352 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
355 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
356 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
358 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
360 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
361 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
362 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
363 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
364 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
365 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
366 License'' in the Emacs manual.
368 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
369 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
370 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
372 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
373 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
374 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
375 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
384 @top The Gnus Newsreader
388 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
389 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
390 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
393 This manual corresponds to Gnus v5.10.2.
404 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
405 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
407 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
408 being accused of plagiarism:
410 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
411 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
412 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
413 can even read news with it!
415 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
416 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
417 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
418 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
419 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
425 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
426 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
427 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
428 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
429 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
430 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
431 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
432 * Various:: General purpose settings.
433 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
434 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
435 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
436 * Key Index:: Key Index.
438 Other related manuals
440 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
441 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
442 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
443 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
446 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
450 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
451 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
452 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
453 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
454 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
455 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
456 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
457 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
458 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
459 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
460 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
464 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
465 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
466 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
470 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
471 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
472 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
473 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
474 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
475 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
476 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
477 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
478 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
479 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
480 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
481 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
482 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
483 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
484 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
485 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
486 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
490 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
491 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
492 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
496 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
497 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
498 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
499 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
500 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
504 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
505 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
506 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
507 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
508 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
512 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
513 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
514 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
515 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
516 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
517 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
518 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
519 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
520 * Threading:: How threads are made.
521 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
522 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
523 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
524 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
525 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
526 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
527 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
528 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
529 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
530 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
531 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
532 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
533 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
534 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
535 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
536 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
537 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
538 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
539 or reselecting the current group.
540 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
541 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
542 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
543 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
545 Summary Buffer Format
547 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
548 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
549 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
550 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
554 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
555 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
557 Reply, Followup and Post
559 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
560 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
561 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
562 * Canceling and Superseding::
566 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
567 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
568 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
569 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
570 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
571 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
575 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
576 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
578 Customizing Threading
580 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
581 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
582 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
583 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
587 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
588 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
589 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
590 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
591 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
592 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
596 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
597 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
598 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
602 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
603 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
604 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
605 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
606 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
607 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
608 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
609 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
610 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
611 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
612 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
614 Alternative Approaches
616 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
617 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
619 Various Summary Stuff
621 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
622 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
623 * Summary Generation Commands::
624 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
628 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
629 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
630 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
631 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
632 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
636 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
637 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
638 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
639 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
640 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
641 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
642 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
643 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
647 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
648 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
649 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
650 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
651 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
652 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
653 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
654 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
658 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
659 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
660 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
661 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
662 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
663 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
664 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
668 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
669 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
673 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
674 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
675 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
679 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
680 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
681 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
682 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
683 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
684 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
685 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
686 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
687 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
688 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
689 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
690 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
691 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
695 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
696 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
697 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
699 Choosing a Mail Back End
701 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
702 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
703 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
704 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
705 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
706 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
707 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
712 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
713 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
714 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
715 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
716 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
717 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
721 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
722 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
723 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
724 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
725 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
729 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
730 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
731 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
732 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
733 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
737 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
741 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
742 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
743 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
747 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
748 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
752 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
753 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
754 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
755 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
756 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
757 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
758 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
759 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
760 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
761 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
762 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
763 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
764 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
768 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
769 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
770 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
774 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
775 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
776 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
780 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
781 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
782 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
783 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
784 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
785 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
786 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
787 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
788 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
789 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
790 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
791 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
792 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
793 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
794 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
795 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
796 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
800 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
801 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
802 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
803 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
807 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
808 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
809 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
813 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
814 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
815 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
816 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
817 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
818 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
819 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
820 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
821 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
822 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
823 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
824 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
825 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
826 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
827 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
828 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
829 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
830 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
831 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
835 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
836 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
837 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
838 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
839 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
840 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
841 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
842 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
846 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
847 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
848 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
849 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
850 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
854 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
855 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
856 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
857 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
858 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
859 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
861 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
863 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
865 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
866 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
868 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
870 * ifile spam filtering::
871 * spam-stat spam filtering::
873 * Extending the spam elisp package::
875 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
877 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
878 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
879 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
883 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
884 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
885 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
886 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
887 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
888 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
889 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
890 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
891 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ.
895 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
896 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
897 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
898 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
899 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
900 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
901 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
902 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
903 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
907 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
908 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
909 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
910 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
911 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
912 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
916 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
917 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
918 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
919 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
923 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
924 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
925 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
926 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
927 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
928 * Group Info:: The group info format.
929 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
930 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
931 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
935 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
936 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
937 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
938 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
939 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
940 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
944 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
945 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
949 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
950 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
956 @chapter Starting Gnus
961 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
962 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
965 @findex gnus-other-frame
966 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
967 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
968 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
970 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
971 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
972 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
974 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
975 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
978 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
979 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
980 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
981 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
982 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
983 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
984 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
985 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
986 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
987 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
988 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
992 @node Finding the News
993 @section Finding the News
996 @vindex gnus-select-method
998 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
999 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1000 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1001 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1004 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1005 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1008 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1011 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1014 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1017 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1018 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1019 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1021 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1023 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1024 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1025 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1026 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1027 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1028 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1029 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1031 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1032 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1033 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1034 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1036 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1037 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1038 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1039 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1040 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1041 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1042 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1043 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1044 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1047 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1049 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1050 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1051 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1052 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1053 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1054 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1056 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1058 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1059 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1060 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1061 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1062 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1063 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1066 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1067 you would typically set this variable to
1070 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1074 @node The First Time
1075 @section The First Time
1076 @cindex first time usage
1078 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1079 be subscribed by default.
1081 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1082 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1083 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1084 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1087 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1088 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1089 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1091 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1092 help you with most common problems.
1094 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1095 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1099 @node The Server is Down
1100 @section The Server is Down
1101 @cindex server errors
1103 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1104 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1105 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1107 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1108 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1109 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1110 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1111 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1112 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1113 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1115 @findex gnus-no-server
1116 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1118 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1119 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1120 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1121 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1122 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1123 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1124 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1128 @section Slave Gnusae
1131 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1132 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1133 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1134 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1136 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1137 @file{.newsrc} file.
1139 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1140 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1141 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1142 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1143 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1144 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1145 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1148 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1149 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1150 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1151 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1152 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1153 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1154 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1155 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1157 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1158 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1160 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1161 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1162 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1163 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1164 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1166 @node Fetching a Group
1167 @section Fetching a Group
1168 @cindex fetching a group
1170 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1171 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1172 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1173 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1174 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1175 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1181 @cindex subscription
1183 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1184 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1185 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1186 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1187 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1188 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1189 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1190 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1191 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1194 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1195 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1196 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1200 @node Checking New Groups
1201 @subsection Checking New Groups
1203 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1204 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1205 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1206 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1207 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1208 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1209 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1210 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1211 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1212 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1214 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1215 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1216 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1217 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1218 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1219 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1220 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1221 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1222 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1223 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1224 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1226 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1227 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1228 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1229 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1230 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1231 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1234 @node Subscription Methods
1235 @subsection Subscription Methods
1237 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1238 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1239 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1241 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1242 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1244 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1248 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1249 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1250 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1251 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1252 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1254 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1255 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1256 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1257 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1259 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1260 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1261 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1263 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1264 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1265 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1266 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1267 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1268 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1269 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1270 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1271 up. Or something like that.
1273 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1274 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1275 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1276 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1277 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1279 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1280 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1281 Kill all new groups.
1283 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1284 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1285 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1286 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1287 topic parameter that looks like
1293 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1296 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1301 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1302 A closely related variable is
1303 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1304 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1305 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1306 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1309 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1310 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1312 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1315 @node Filtering New Groups
1316 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1318 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1319 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1320 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1323 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1326 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1327 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1328 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1329 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1330 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1331 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1332 subscribing these groups.
1333 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1334 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1336 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1337 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1338 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1339 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1340 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1341 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1342 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1343 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1345 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1346 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1347 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1348 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1349 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1350 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1351 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1352 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1353 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1354 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1357 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1358 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1361 @node Changing Servers
1362 @section Changing Servers
1363 @cindex changing servers
1365 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1366 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1367 very flaky and you want to use another.
1369 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1370 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1374 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1375 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1376 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1377 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1380 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1381 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1382 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1383 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1385 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1386 @findex gnus-change-server
1387 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1388 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1389 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1390 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1391 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1393 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1394 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1395 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1396 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1397 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1399 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1400 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1401 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1402 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1403 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1404 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1406 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1407 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1408 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1409 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1411 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1412 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1413 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1414 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1415 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1416 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1417 cache for all groups).
1421 @section Startup Files
1422 @cindex startup files
1427 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1428 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1430 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1431 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1432 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1433 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1434 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1435 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1436 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1438 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1439 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1440 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1441 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1442 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1443 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1445 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1446 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1447 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1448 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1449 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1450 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1451 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1452 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1453 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1454 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1456 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1457 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1458 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1459 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1460 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1461 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1462 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1463 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1464 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1465 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1466 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1467 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1469 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1470 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1471 @vindex version-control
1472 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1473 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1474 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1475 If you want version control for this file, set
1476 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1477 @code{version-control} variable.
1479 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1480 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1481 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1482 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1483 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1484 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1485 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1486 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1487 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1488 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1491 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1492 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1494 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1495 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1498 @vindex gnus-init-file
1499 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1500 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1501 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1502 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1503 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1504 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1505 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1506 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1507 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1508 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1514 @cindex dribble file
1517 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1518 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1519 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1520 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1521 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1524 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1525 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1528 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1529 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1530 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1532 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1533 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1534 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1535 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1536 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1537 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1539 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1540 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1541 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1544 @node The Active File
1545 @section The Active File
1547 @cindex ignored groups
1549 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1550 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1551 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1553 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1554 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1555 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1556 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1557 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1558 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1559 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1562 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1563 @c if you set it to anything else.
1565 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1567 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1568 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1569 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1571 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1572 you actually subscribe to.
1574 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1575 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1576 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1577 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1579 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1580 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1581 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1582 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1583 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1584 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1586 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1587 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1588 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1591 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1592 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1593 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1594 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1595 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1596 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1598 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1599 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1601 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1602 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1604 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1605 secondary select methods.
1608 @node Startup Variables
1609 @section Startup Variables
1613 @item gnus-load-hook
1614 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1615 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1616 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1617 times you start Gnus.
1619 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1620 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1621 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1623 @item gnus-startup-hook
1624 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1625 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1627 @item gnus-started-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1629 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1632 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1633 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1634 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1635 generating the group buffer.
1637 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1638 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1639 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1640 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1641 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1642 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1643 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1644 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1646 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1647 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1648 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1649 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1650 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1651 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1653 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1654 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1655 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1657 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1658 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1659 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1661 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1662 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1663 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1664 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1670 @chapter Group Buffer
1671 @cindex group buffer
1673 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1675 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1676 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1677 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1678 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1679 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1680 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1681 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1682 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1683 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1684 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1685 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1686 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1687 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1688 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1689 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1690 @c human rights at 9...
1693 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1694 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1695 long as Gnus is active.
1699 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1700 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1701 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1702 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1703 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1704 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1705 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1706 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1712 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1713 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1714 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1715 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1716 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1717 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1718 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1719 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1720 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1721 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1722 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1723 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1724 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1725 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1726 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1727 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1728 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1732 @node Group Buffer Format
1733 @section Group Buffer Format
1736 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1737 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1738 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1742 @node Group Line Specification
1743 @subsection Group Line Specification
1744 @cindex group buffer format
1746 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1747 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1749 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1752 25: news.announce.newusers
1753 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1758 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1759 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1760 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1761 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1763 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1764 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1765 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1766 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1767 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1768 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1770 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1772 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1773 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1774 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1775 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1776 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1778 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1779 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1780 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1782 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1787 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1790 Whether the group is subscribed.
1793 Level of subscribedness.
1796 Number of unread articles.
1799 Number of dormant articles.
1802 Number of ticked articles.
1805 Number of read articles.
1808 Number of unseen articles.
1811 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1812 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1814 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1815 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1816 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1817 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1818 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1819 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1820 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1821 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1824 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1827 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1836 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1837 comment element in the group parameters.
1840 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1841 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1842 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1846 @samp{m} if moderated.
1849 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1855 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1861 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1865 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1868 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1869 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1870 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1871 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1872 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1875 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1877 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1881 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1884 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1888 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1889 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1890 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1891 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1892 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1893 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1898 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1899 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1900 group, or a bogus native group.
1903 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1904 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1905 @cindex group mode line
1907 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1908 The mode line can be changed by setting
1909 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1910 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1914 The native news server.
1916 The native select method.
1920 @node Group Highlighting
1921 @subsection Group Highlighting
1922 @cindex highlighting
1923 @cindex group highlighting
1925 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1926 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1927 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1928 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1929 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1931 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1935 (cond (window-system
1936 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1937 (defface my-group-face-1
1938 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1939 (defface my-group-face-2
1940 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1941 "Second group face")
1942 (defface my-group-face-3
1943 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1944 (defface my-group-face-4
1945 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1946 (defface my-group-face-5
1947 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1949 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1950 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1951 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1952 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1953 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1954 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1957 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1959 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1966 The number of unread articles in the group.
1970 Whether the group is a mail group.
1972 The level of the group.
1974 The score of the group.
1976 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1978 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1979 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1981 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1982 topic being inserted.
1985 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1986 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1987 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1989 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1990 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1991 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1992 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1993 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1996 @node Group Maneuvering
1997 @section Group Maneuvering
1998 @cindex group movement
2000 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2001 expected, hopefully.
2007 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2008 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2009 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2015 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2016 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2017 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2021 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2022 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2026 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2027 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2031 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2032 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2033 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2037 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2038 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2039 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2042 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2048 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2049 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2050 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2055 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2056 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2057 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2061 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2062 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2063 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2066 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2067 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2068 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2069 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2073 @node Selecting a Group
2074 @section Selecting a Group
2075 @cindex group selection
2080 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2081 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2082 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2083 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2084 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2085 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2086 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2087 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2088 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2089 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2091 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2092 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2093 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2095 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2096 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2101 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2102 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2103 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2104 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2105 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2109 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2110 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2111 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2112 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2113 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2114 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2115 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2116 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2117 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2118 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2121 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2122 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2123 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2124 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2125 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2128 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2129 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2130 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2131 doing any processing of its contents
2132 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2133 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2134 manner will have no permanent effects.
2138 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2139 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2140 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2141 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2142 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2143 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2144 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2145 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2146 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2147 most recently will be fetched.
2149 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2150 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2151 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2154 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2155 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2156 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2157 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2158 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2159 Which article this is is controlled by the
2160 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2166 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2169 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2172 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2174 @item unseen-or-unread
2175 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2176 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2180 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2184 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2185 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2187 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2188 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2189 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2190 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2194 @node Subscription Commands
2195 @section Subscription Commands
2196 @cindex subscription
2204 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2205 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2206 Toggle subscription to the current group
2207 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2213 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2214 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2215 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2216 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2222 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2223 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2224 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2230 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2231 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2234 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2235 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2236 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2237 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2238 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2244 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2245 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2249 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2250 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2253 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2254 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2255 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2256 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2257 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2258 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2259 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2260 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2261 @file{.newsrc} file.
2265 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2275 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2276 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2277 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2278 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2279 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2280 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2285 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2286 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2287 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2291 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2292 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2293 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2295 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2296 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2297 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2298 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2299 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2300 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2307 @section Group Levels
2311 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2312 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2313 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2314 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2315 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2317 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2323 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2324 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2325 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2326 prompted for a level.
2329 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2330 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2331 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2332 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2333 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2334 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2335 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2336 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2337 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2338 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2339 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2340 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2341 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2342 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2343 reasons of efficiency.
2345 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2346 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2348 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2349 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2350 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2351 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2352 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2353 groups are hidden, in a way.
2355 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2356 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2357 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2358 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2359 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2360 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2362 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2363 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2364 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2365 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2366 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2367 list of killed groups.)
2369 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2370 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2371 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2373 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2374 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2375 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2376 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2377 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2378 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2379 relevant valid ranges.
2381 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2382 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2383 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2384 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2385 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2386 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2389 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2390 one with the best level.
2392 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2393 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2394 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2397 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2398 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2399 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2400 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2403 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2404 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2405 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2406 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2408 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2409 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2410 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2411 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2412 to 5. The default is 6.
2416 @section Group Score
2421 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2422 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2423 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2426 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2427 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2428 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2429 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2430 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2431 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2432 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2433 least significant part.))
2435 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2436 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2437 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2438 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2439 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2440 action after each summary exit, you can add
2441 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2442 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2443 slow things down somewhat.
2446 @node Marking Groups
2447 @section Marking Groups
2448 @cindex marking groups
2450 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2451 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2452 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2453 bidding on those groups.
2455 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2456 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2457 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2465 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2466 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2472 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2473 Remove the mark from the current group
2474 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2478 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2479 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2483 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2484 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2488 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2489 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2493 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2494 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2495 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2498 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2500 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2501 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2502 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2503 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2504 the command to be executed.
2507 @node Foreign Groups
2508 @section Foreign Groups
2509 @cindex foreign groups
2511 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2512 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2513 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2514 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2521 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2522 @cindex making groups
2523 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2524 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2525 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2529 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2530 @cindex renaming groups
2531 Rename the current group to something else
2532 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2533 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2539 @findex gnus-group-customize
2540 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2544 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2545 @cindex renaming groups
2546 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2547 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2551 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2552 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2553 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2557 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2558 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2559 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2563 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2565 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2566 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2571 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2572 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2576 @cindex (ding) archive
2577 @cindex archive group
2578 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2579 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2580 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2581 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2582 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2583 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2584 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2588 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2590 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2591 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2592 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2593 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2597 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2599 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2600 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2601 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2605 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2606 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2608 Make a group based on some file or other
2609 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2610 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2611 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2612 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2613 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2614 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2615 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2616 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2617 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2621 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2622 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2623 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2624 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2628 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2632 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2633 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2634 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2635 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2636 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2637 @xref{Web Searches}.
2639 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2640 to a particular group by using a match string like
2641 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2644 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2645 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2646 This function will delete the current group
2647 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2648 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2649 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2650 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2651 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2655 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2656 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2657 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2661 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2662 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2663 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2666 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2669 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2670 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2671 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2672 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2673 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2674 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2678 @node Group Parameters
2679 @section Group Parameters
2680 @cindex group parameters
2682 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2683 Here's an example group parameter list:
2686 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2690 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2691 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2692 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2693 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2695 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2696 is an alist of regexps and values.
2698 The following group parameters can be used:
2703 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2706 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2709 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2710 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2711 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2712 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2713 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2715 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2716 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2717 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2718 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2719 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2720 list address instead.
2722 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2726 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2729 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2732 It is totally ignored
2733 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2734 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2736 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2737 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2738 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2739 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2740 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2742 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2743 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2744 sending the message.
2746 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2747 @cindex mail list groups
2748 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2749 entering summary buffer.
2751 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2756 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2757 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2758 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2759 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2760 headers for your posts to these lists. @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing
2761 Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for a complete treatment of
2762 available MFT support.
2764 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2765 directly uses this group parameter.
2769 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2770 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2771 of whether it has any unread articles.
2773 @item broken-reply-to
2774 @cindex broken-reply-to
2775 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2776 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2777 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2778 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2779 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2780 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2784 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2785 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2789 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2790 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2791 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2796 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2797 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2798 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2799 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2800 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2801 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2802 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2804 @strong{Caveat}: It yields an error putting @code{(gcc-self . t)} in
2805 groups of an @code{nntp} server or so, because an @code{nntp} server
2806 doesn't accept articles.
2810 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2811 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2812 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2814 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2817 @cindex total-expire
2818 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2819 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2820 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2821 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2824 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2828 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2829 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2830 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2831 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2832 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2833 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2834 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2837 @cindex expiry-target
2838 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2839 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2842 @cindex score file group parameter
2843 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2844 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2845 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2848 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2849 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2850 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2851 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2854 @cindex admin-address
2855 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2856 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2857 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2858 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2862 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2863 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2867 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2870 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2871 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2874 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2878 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2880 Here are some examples:
2884 Display only unread articles.
2887 Display everything except expirable articles.
2889 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2890 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2894 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2895 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2896 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2897 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2898 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2902 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2903 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2904 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2908 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2909 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2910 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2914 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2915 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2916 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2918 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2920 @item ignored-charsets
2921 @cindex ignored-charset
2922 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2923 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2924 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2926 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2929 @cindex posting-style
2930 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2931 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2932 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2933 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2934 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2936 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2937 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2938 like this in the group parameters:
2943 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2944 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2949 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2950 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2954 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2955 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2956 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2957 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2958 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2962 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2963 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2964 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2965 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2967 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2968 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2969 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2970 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2973 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2974 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2978 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
2979 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
2981 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2982 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2983 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2984 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2985 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2986 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2987 @code{eval}ed there.
2989 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
2990 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
2991 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
2992 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
2993 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
2994 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
2995 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
2996 @file{~/.gnus} file:
2999 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3002 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3003 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3004 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3007 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3010 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3011 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3012 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3013 into the group parameters for the group.
3015 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
3016 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
3017 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
3018 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
3019 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
3023 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3024 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3025 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3026 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3027 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3029 @vindex gnus-parameters
3030 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3031 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3035 (setq gnus-parameters
3037 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3038 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3039 (gnus-summary-line-format
3040 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3044 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3048 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3052 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3055 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3056 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3059 @node Listing Groups
3060 @section Listing Groups
3061 @cindex group listing
3063 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3071 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3072 List all groups that have unread articles
3073 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3074 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3075 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3076 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3083 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3084 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3085 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3086 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3087 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3088 unsubscribed groups).
3092 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3093 List all unread groups on a specific level
3094 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3095 with no unread articles.
3099 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3100 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3101 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3102 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3107 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3108 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3112 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3113 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3114 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3118 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3119 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3123 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3124 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3125 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3126 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3127 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3128 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3129 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3130 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3134 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3135 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3136 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3140 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3141 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3142 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3146 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3147 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3151 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3152 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3156 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3157 List groups limited within the current selection
3158 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3162 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3163 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3167 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3168 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3172 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3173 @cindex visible group parameter
3174 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3175 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3176 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3177 get the same effect.
3179 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3180 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3181 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3182 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3183 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3186 @node Sorting Groups
3187 @section Sorting Groups
3188 @cindex sorting groups
3190 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3191 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3192 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3193 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3194 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3195 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3200 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3201 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3202 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3204 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3205 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3206 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3208 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3209 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3210 Sort by group level.
3212 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3213 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3214 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3216 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3217 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3218 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3219 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3221 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3222 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3223 Sort by number of unread articles.
3225 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3226 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3227 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3229 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3230 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3231 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3236 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3237 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3241 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3242 some sorting criteria:
3246 @kindex G S a (Group)
3247 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3248 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3249 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3252 @kindex G S u (Group)
3253 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3254 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3255 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3258 @kindex G S l (Group)
3259 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3260 Sort the group buffer by group level
3261 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3264 @kindex G S v (Group)
3265 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3266 Sort the group buffer by group score
3267 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3270 @kindex G S r (Group)
3271 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3272 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3273 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3276 @kindex G S m (Group)
3277 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3278 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3279 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3282 @kindex G S n (Group)
3283 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3284 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3285 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3289 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3290 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3292 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3293 commands will sort in reverse order.
3295 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3299 @kindex G P a (Group)
3300 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3301 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3302 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3305 @kindex G P u (Group)
3306 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3307 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3308 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3311 @kindex G P l (Group)
3312 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3313 Sort the groups by group level
3314 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3317 @kindex G P v (Group)
3318 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3319 Sort the groups by group score
3320 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3323 @kindex G P r (Group)
3324 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3325 Sort the groups by group rank
3326 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3329 @kindex G P m (Group)
3330 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3331 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3332 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3335 @kindex G P n (Group)
3336 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3337 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3338 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3341 @kindex G P s (Group)
3342 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3343 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3347 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3351 @node Group Maintenance
3352 @section Group Maintenance
3353 @cindex bogus groups
3358 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3359 Find bogus groups and delete them
3360 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3364 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3365 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3366 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3367 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3368 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3372 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3373 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3374 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3375 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3376 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3377 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3380 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3381 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3382 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3383 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3388 @node Browse Foreign Server
3389 @section Browse Foreign Server
3390 @cindex foreign servers
3391 @cindex browsing servers
3396 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3397 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3398 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3399 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3402 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3403 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3404 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3405 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3407 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3412 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3413 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3417 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3418 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3421 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3422 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3423 Enter the current group and display the first article
3424 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3427 @kindex RET (Browse)
3428 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3429 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3433 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3434 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3435 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3441 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3442 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3446 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3447 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3451 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3452 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3453 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3458 @section Exiting Gnus
3459 @cindex exiting Gnus
3461 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3466 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3467 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3468 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3469 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3473 @findex gnus-group-exit
3474 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3475 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3479 @findex gnus-group-quit
3480 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3481 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3484 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3485 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3486 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3487 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3488 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3489 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3495 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3496 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3497 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3503 @section Group Topics
3506 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3507 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3508 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3509 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3510 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3511 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3515 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3516 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3527 2: alt.religion.emacs
3530 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3532 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3533 13: comp.sources.unix
3536 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3538 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3539 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3540 is a toggling command.)
3542 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3543 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3544 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3545 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3548 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3549 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3550 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3553 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3557 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3558 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3559 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3560 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3561 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3565 @node Topic Commands
3566 @subsection Topic Commands
3567 @cindex topic commands
3569 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3570 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3571 definitions slightly.
3573 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3574 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3575 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3576 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3577 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3578 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3580 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3587 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3588 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3589 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3593 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3595 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3596 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3597 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3598 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3601 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3602 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3603 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3604 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3608 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3609 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3610 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3611 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3617 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3618 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3619 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3623 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3624 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3625 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3628 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3629 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3630 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3631 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3632 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3634 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3635 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3639 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3640 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3647 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3649 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3650 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3651 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3652 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3653 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3654 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3658 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3664 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3665 Move the current group to some other topic
3666 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3667 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3671 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3672 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3676 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3677 Copy the current group to some other topic
3678 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3679 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3683 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3684 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3685 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3689 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3690 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3691 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3695 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3696 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3697 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3698 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3699 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3700 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3701 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3704 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3705 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3709 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3710 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3711 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3715 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3716 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3717 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3721 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3722 Toggle hiding empty topics
3723 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3727 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3728 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3729 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3730 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3733 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3734 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3735 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3736 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3737 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3740 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3741 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3742 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3743 expiry process (if any)
3744 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3748 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3749 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3752 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3753 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3754 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3758 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3759 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3760 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3763 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3764 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3765 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3768 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3769 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3770 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3774 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3775 @cindex group parameters
3776 @cindex topic parameters
3778 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3779 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3784 @node Topic Variables
3785 @subsection Topic Variables
3786 @cindex topic variables
3788 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3789 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3791 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3792 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3793 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3806 Number of groups in the topic.
3808 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3810 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3813 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3814 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3815 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3818 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3819 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3821 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3822 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3823 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3827 @subsection Topic Sorting
3828 @cindex topic sorting
3830 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3836 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3837 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3838 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3839 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3842 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3843 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3844 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3845 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3848 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3849 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3850 Sort the current topic by group level
3851 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3854 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3855 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3856 Sort the current topic by group score
3857 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3860 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3861 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3862 Sort the current topic by group rank
3863 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3866 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3867 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3868 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3869 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3872 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3873 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3874 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3875 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3879 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3880 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3881 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3882 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3886 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3887 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3891 @node Topic Topology
3892 @subsection Topic Topology
3893 @cindex topic topology
3896 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3903 2: alt.religion.emacs
3906 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3908 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3909 13: comp.sources.unix
3913 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3914 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3915 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3920 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3921 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3925 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3926 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3927 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3928 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3929 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3930 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3932 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3933 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3934 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3937 @node Topic Parameters
3938 @subsection Topic Parameters
3939 @cindex topic parameters
3941 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3942 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3943 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3945 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3950 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3951 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3952 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3955 @item subscribe-level
3956 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3957 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3958 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3962 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3963 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3964 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3965 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3971 2: alt.religion.emacs
3975 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3977 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3978 13: comp.sources.unix
3982 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3983 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3984 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3985 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3986 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3987 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3989 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3990 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3991 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3992 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3993 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3995 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3996 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3997 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3998 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3999 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4000 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4001 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4002 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4005 @node Misc Group Stuff
4006 @section Misc Group Stuff
4009 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4010 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4011 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4012 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4013 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4020 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4021 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4022 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4026 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4027 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4028 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4029 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4030 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4031 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4032 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4036 @findex gnus-group-mail
4037 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4038 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4039 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4040 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4044 @findex gnus-group-news
4045 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4046 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4047 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4049 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4050 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4051 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4052 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4053 for this to work though.
4057 Variables for the group buffer:
4061 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4062 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4063 is called after the group buffer has been
4066 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4067 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4068 is called after the group buffer is
4069 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4072 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4073 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4074 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4075 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4077 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4078 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4079 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4080 whether they are empty or not.
4082 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4083 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4084 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4085 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4089 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4090 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4093 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4094 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4095 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4096 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4097 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4098 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4099 default is @code{nil}.
4103 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4104 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4109 @node Scanning New Messages
4110 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4111 @cindex new messages
4112 @cindex scanning new news
4118 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4119 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4120 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4121 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4122 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4123 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4128 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4129 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4130 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4131 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4132 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4133 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4134 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4136 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4137 @cindex activating groups
4139 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4140 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4145 @findex gnus-group-restart
4146 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4147 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4148 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4152 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4153 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4155 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4156 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4160 @node Group Information
4161 @subsection Group Information
4162 @cindex group information
4163 @cindex information on groups
4170 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4171 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4174 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4175 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4176 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4177 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4178 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4179 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4180 used for fetching the file.
4182 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4183 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4187 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4188 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4190 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4191 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4194 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4195 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4196 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4200 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4201 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4202 @cindex control message
4203 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4204 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4205 group if given a prefix argument.
4207 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4208 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4209 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4210 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4212 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4213 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4214 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4218 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4220 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4221 @cindex describing groups
4222 @cindex group description
4223 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4224 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4225 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4229 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4230 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4231 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4238 @findex gnus-version
4239 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4243 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4244 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4247 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4250 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4251 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4255 @node Group Timestamp
4256 @subsection Group Timestamp
4258 @cindex group timestamps
4260 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4261 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4262 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4265 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4268 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4270 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4271 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4274 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4275 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4278 This will result in lines looking like:
4281 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4282 0: custom 19961002T012713
4285 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4286 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4290 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4291 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4294 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4295 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4299 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4300 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4301 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4302 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4304 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4310 @subsection File Commands
4311 @cindex file commands
4317 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4318 @vindex gnus-init-file
4319 @cindex reading init file
4320 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4321 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4325 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4326 @cindex saving .newsrc
4327 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4328 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4329 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4332 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4333 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4334 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4339 @node Sieve Commands
4340 @subsection Sieve Commands
4341 @cindex group sieve commands
4343 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4344 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4345 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4346 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4347 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4349 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4350 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4351 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4352 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4353 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4354 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4355 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4356 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4357 regenerate the Sieve script.
4359 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4360 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4361 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4362 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4363 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4364 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4365 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4366 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4367 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4368 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4371 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4372 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4377 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4383 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4384 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4385 @cindex generating sieve script
4386 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4387 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4391 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4392 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4393 @cindex updating sieve script
4394 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4395 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4396 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4401 @node Summary Buffer
4402 @chapter Summary Buffer
4403 @cindex summary buffer
4405 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4406 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4408 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4409 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4411 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4414 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4415 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4416 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4417 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4418 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4419 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4420 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4421 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4422 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4423 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4424 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4425 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4426 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4427 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4428 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4429 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4430 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4431 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4432 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4433 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4434 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4435 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4436 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4437 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4438 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4439 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4440 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4441 or reselecting the current group.
4442 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4443 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4444 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4445 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4449 @node Summary Buffer Format
4450 @section Summary Buffer Format
4451 @cindex summary buffer format
4455 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4456 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4457 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4463 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4464 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4465 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4466 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4469 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4470 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4471 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4472 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4473 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4474 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4475 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4476 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4477 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4478 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4479 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4482 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4483 'mail-extract-address-components)
4486 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4487 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4488 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4489 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4492 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4493 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4495 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4496 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4497 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4498 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4499 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4501 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4502 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4503 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4504 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4505 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4506 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4508 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4510 The following format specification characters and extended format
4511 specification(s) are understood:
4517 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4518 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4520 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4521 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4522 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4524 Full @code{From} header.
4526 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4528 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4531 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4532 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4533 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4534 may be more thorough.
4536 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4539 Number of lines in the article.
4541 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4542 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4544 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4545 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4547 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4549 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4550 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4563 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4564 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4565 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4566 line-drawing glyphs.
4568 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4569 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4570 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4571 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4573 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4574 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4575 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4576 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4578 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4579 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4580 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4581 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4583 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4584 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4585 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4587 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4588 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4589 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4591 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4592 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4593 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4595 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4596 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4597 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4602 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4603 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4605 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4606 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4608 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4609 for adopted articles.
4611 One space for each thread level.
4613 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4615 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4618 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4619 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4620 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4623 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4625 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4626 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4627 default level. If the difference between
4628 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4629 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4637 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4639 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4645 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4646 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4648 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4649 article has any children.
4655 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4656 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4658 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4659 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4660 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4661 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4662 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4663 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4666 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4667 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4668 There can only be one such area.
4670 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4671 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4672 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4673 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4674 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4675 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4677 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4678 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4680 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4683 @node To From Newsgroups
4684 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4688 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4689 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4690 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4691 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4692 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4696 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4697 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4698 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4702 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4703 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4706 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4707 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4710 @findex gnus-extra-header
4711 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4712 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4713 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4716 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4720 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4721 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4722 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4723 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4724 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4725 headers are used instead.
4729 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4730 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4731 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4732 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4733 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4734 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4737 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4738 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4739 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4740 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4742 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4746 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4748 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4749 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4750 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4751 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4755 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4758 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4759 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4762 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4763 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4764 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4770 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4771 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4774 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4775 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4777 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4778 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4779 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4780 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4782 Here are the elements you can play with:
4788 Unprefixed group name.
4790 Current article number.
4792 Current article score.
4796 Number of unread articles in this group.
4798 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4801 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4802 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4803 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4804 and no unselected ones.
4806 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4807 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4809 Subject of the current article.
4811 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4813 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4815 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4817 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4819 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4821 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4825 @node Summary Highlighting
4826 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4830 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4831 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4832 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4833 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4834 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4836 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4837 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4838 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4839 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4841 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4842 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4843 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4844 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4846 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4847 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4848 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4849 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4850 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4851 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4854 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4855 ((> score default) . bold))
4857 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4858 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4862 @node Summary Maneuvering
4863 @section Summary Maneuvering
4864 @cindex summary movement
4866 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4867 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4869 None of these commands select articles.
4874 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4875 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4876 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4877 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4878 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4882 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4883 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4884 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4885 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4886 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4889 @kindex G g (Summary)
4890 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4891 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4892 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4895 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4896 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4897 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4898 to the group buffer.
4900 Variables related to summary movement:
4904 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4905 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4906 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4907 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4908 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4909 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4910 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4911 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4912 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4913 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4914 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4915 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4916 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4917 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4919 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4920 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4921 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4922 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4923 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4924 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4925 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4927 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4929 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4930 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4931 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4932 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4933 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4935 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4936 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4937 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4938 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4939 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4940 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4941 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4942 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4945 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4946 the given number of lines from the top.
4951 @node Choosing Articles
4952 @section Choosing Articles
4953 @cindex selecting articles
4956 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4957 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4961 @node Choosing Commands
4962 @subsection Choosing Commands
4964 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4965 and they all select and display an article.
4967 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4968 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4972 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4973 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4974 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4975 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4977 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4978 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4979 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
4984 @kindex G n (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4986 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4987 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4992 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4993 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4994 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4999 @kindex G N (Summary)
5000 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5001 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5006 @kindex G P (Summary)
5007 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5008 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5011 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5012 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5013 Go to the next article with the same subject
5014 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5017 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5018 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5019 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5020 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5024 @kindex G f (Summary)
5026 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5027 Go to the first unread article
5028 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5032 @kindex G b (Summary)
5034 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5035 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5036 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5037 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5042 @kindex G l (Summary)
5043 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5044 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5047 @kindex G o (Summary)
5048 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5050 @cindex article history
5051 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5052 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5053 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5054 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5055 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5056 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5061 @kindex G j (Summary)
5062 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5063 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5064 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5069 @node Choosing Variables
5070 @subsection Choosing Variables
5072 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5075 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5076 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5077 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5078 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5079 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5080 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5082 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5083 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5084 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5085 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5086 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5087 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5089 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5090 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5091 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5092 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5093 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5094 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5095 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5096 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5097 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5098 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5099 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5100 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5101 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5102 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5107 @node Paging the Article
5108 @section Scrolling the Article
5109 @cindex article scrolling
5114 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5115 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5116 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5117 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5118 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5120 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5121 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5122 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5123 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5124 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5125 what is considered uninteresting with
5126 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5127 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5130 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5131 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5132 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5135 @kindex RET (Summary)
5136 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5137 Scroll the current article one line forward
5138 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5141 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5143 Scroll the current article one line backward
5144 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5148 @kindex A g (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5151 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5152 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5153 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5154 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5155 the way it came from the server.
5157 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5158 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5159 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5162 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5167 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5172 @kindex A < (Summary)
5173 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5174 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5175 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5180 @kindex A > (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5182 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5186 @kindex A s (Summary)
5188 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5189 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5190 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5194 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5195 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5200 @node Reply Followup and Post
5201 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5204 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5205 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5206 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5207 * Canceling and Superseding::
5211 @node Summary Mail Commands
5212 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5214 @cindex composing mail
5216 Commands for composing a mail message:
5222 @kindex S r (Summary)
5224 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5225 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5226 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5227 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5228 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5233 @kindex S R (Summary)
5234 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5235 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5236 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5237 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5238 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5241 @kindex S w (Summary)
5242 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5243 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5244 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5245 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5246 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5247 present, that's used instead.
5250 @kindex S W (Summary)
5251 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5252 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5253 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5254 the process/prefix convention.
5257 @kindex S v (Summary)
5258 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5259 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5260 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5261 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5262 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5263 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5266 @kindex S V (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5268 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5269 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5270 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5273 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5274 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5275 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5276 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5277 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5278 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5279 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5280 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5283 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5284 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5285 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5286 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5287 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5291 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5292 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5294 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5295 Forward the current article to some other person
5296 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5297 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5298 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5299 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5300 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5301 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5302 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5303 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5304 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5310 @kindex S m (Summary)
5311 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5312 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5313 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5314 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5315 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5320 @kindex S i (Summary)
5321 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5322 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5323 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5324 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5326 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5327 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5328 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5329 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5330 for this to work though.
5333 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5334 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5335 @cindex bouncing mail
5336 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5337 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5338 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5339 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5340 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5341 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5342 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5343 very well fail, though.
5346 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5347 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5348 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5349 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5350 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5351 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5352 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5353 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5354 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5355 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5357 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5358 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5359 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5360 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5361 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5363 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5364 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5367 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5368 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5369 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5370 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5371 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5374 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5375 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5376 @cindex crossposting
5377 @cindex excessive crossposting
5378 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5379 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5381 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5382 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5383 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5384 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5385 command understands the process/prefix convention
5386 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5390 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5391 Manual}, for more information.
5394 @node Summary Post Commands
5395 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5397 @cindex composing news
5399 Commands for posting a news article:
5405 @kindex S p (Summary)
5406 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5407 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5408 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5409 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5410 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5415 @kindex S f (Summary)
5416 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5417 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5418 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5422 @kindex S F (Summary)
5424 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5425 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5426 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5427 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5428 process/prefix convention.
5431 @kindex S n (Summary)
5432 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5433 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5434 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5437 @kindex S N (Summary)
5438 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5439 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5440 message through mail and include the original message
5441 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5442 the process/prefix convention.
5445 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5446 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5447 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5448 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5449 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5450 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5451 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5452 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5453 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5454 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5455 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5456 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5457 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5460 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5461 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5463 @cindex making digests
5464 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5465 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5466 process/prefix convention.
5469 @kindex S u (Summary)
5470 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5471 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5472 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5473 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5476 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5477 Manual}, for more information.
5480 @node Summary Message Commands
5481 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5485 @kindex S y (Summary)
5486 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5487 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5488 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5489 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5490 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5495 @node Canceling and Superseding
5496 @subsection Canceling Articles
5497 @cindex canceling articles
5498 @cindex superseding articles
5500 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5501 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5503 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5505 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5507 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5508 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5509 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5510 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5511 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5512 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5514 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5515 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5518 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5519 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5520 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5522 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5523 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5524 your original article.
5526 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5528 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5529 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5530 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5533 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5534 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5535 have posted almost the same article twice.
5537 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5538 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5539 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5540 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5541 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5542 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5543 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5544 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5545 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5546 canceled/superseded.
5548 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5550 @node Delayed Articles
5551 @section Delayed Articles
5552 @cindex delayed sending
5553 @cindex send delayed
5555 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5556 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5557 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5558 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5561 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5564 @findex gnus-delay-article
5565 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5566 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5567 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5568 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5572 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5573 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5574 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5575 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5578 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5579 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5580 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5583 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5584 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5585 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5586 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5587 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5588 that means a time tomorrow.
5591 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5592 couple of variables:
5595 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5596 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5597 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5598 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5600 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5601 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5602 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5603 formats described above.
5605 @item gnus-delay-group
5606 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5607 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5608 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5609 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5611 @item gnus-delay-header
5612 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5613 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5614 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5615 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5618 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5619 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5620 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5621 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5622 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5624 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5625 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5626 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5627 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5628 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5629 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5630 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5633 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5634 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5635 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5636 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5637 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5638 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5639 argument is ignored.
5641 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5642 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5643 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5647 @node Marking Articles
5648 @section Marking Articles
5649 @cindex article marking
5650 @cindex article ticking
5653 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5655 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5656 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5657 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5659 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5662 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5663 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5664 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5668 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5672 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5673 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5674 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5678 @node Unread Articles
5679 @subsection Unread Articles
5681 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5686 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5687 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5689 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5690 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5691 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5692 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5693 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5694 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5695 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5698 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5699 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5701 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5702 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5703 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5704 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5708 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5709 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5711 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5716 @subsection Read Articles
5717 @cindex expirable mark
5719 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5724 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5725 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5726 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5729 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5730 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5733 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5734 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5735 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5738 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5739 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5742 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5743 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5746 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5747 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5750 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5751 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5754 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5755 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5758 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5759 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5762 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5763 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5767 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5768 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5769 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5773 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5774 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5776 One more special mark, though:
5780 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5781 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5783 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5784 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5785 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5786 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5792 @subsection Other Marks
5793 @cindex process mark
5796 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5802 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5803 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5804 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5805 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5806 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5809 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5810 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5811 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5812 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5815 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5816 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5817 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5820 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5821 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5822 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5825 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5826 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5827 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5828 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5831 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5832 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5833 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5834 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5835 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5836 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5839 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5840 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5841 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5842 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5845 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5846 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5847 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5848 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5849 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5853 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5854 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5855 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5856 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5857 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5858 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5861 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5862 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5863 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5864 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5865 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5866 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5870 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5871 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5872 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5873 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5874 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5877 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5878 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5879 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5880 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5881 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5882 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5886 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5887 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5888 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5890 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5891 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5892 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5896 @subsection Setting Marks
5897 @cindex setting marks
5899 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5904 @kindex M c (Summary)
5905 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5906 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5907 @cindex mark as unread
5908 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5909 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5915 @kindex M t (Summary)
5916 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5917 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5918 @xref{Article Caching}.
5923 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5924 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5925 Mark the current article as dormant
5926 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5930 @kindex M d (Summary)
5932 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5933 Mark the current article as read
5934 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5938 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5939 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5940 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5945 @kindex M k (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5947 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5948 and then select the next unread article
5949 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5953 @kindex M K (Summary)
5954 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5955 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5956 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5957 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5960 @kindex M C (Summary)
5961 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5962 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5963 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5966 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5967 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5968 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5969 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5972 @kindex M H (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5974 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5975 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5978 @kindex M h (Summary)
5979 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5980 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5981 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5984 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5985 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5986 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5987 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5990 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5991 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5992 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5993 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5997 @kindex M e (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6000 Mark the current article as expirable
6001 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6004 @kindex M b (Summary)
6005 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6006 Set a bookmark in the current article
6007 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6010 @kindex M B (Summary)
6011 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6012 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6013 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6016 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6017 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6018 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6019 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6022 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6023 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6024 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6025 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6028 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6030 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6031 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6032 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6035 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6036 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6037 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6038 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6039 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6040 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6041 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6042 The default is @code{t}.
6045 @node Generic Marking Commands
6046 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6048 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6049 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6050 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6051 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6052 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6055 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6056 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6059 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6060 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6061 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6062 to list in this manual.
6064 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6065 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6066 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6067 article, you could say something like:
6071 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6072 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6073 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6081 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6082 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6086 @node Setting Process Marks
6087 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6088 @cindex setting process marks
6090 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6091 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6092 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6093 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6094 commands into the cache. For more information,
6095 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6102 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6103 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6104 Mark the current article with the process mark
6105 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6106 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6110 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6111 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6112 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6113 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6116 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6118 Remove the process mark from all articles
6119 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6122 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6124 Invert the list of process marked articles
6125 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6128 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6129 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6130 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6131 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6134 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6136 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6137 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6140 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6142 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6146 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6147 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6150 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6151 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6152 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6153 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6156 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6158 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6159 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6162 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6163 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6164 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6165 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6168 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6169 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6170 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6173 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6174 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6175 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6176 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6179 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6180 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6181 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6184 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6185 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6186 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6187 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6190 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6191 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6192 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6193 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6196 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6198 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6199 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6202 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6203 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6204 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6205 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6209 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6210 set process marks based on article body contents.
6217 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6218 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6219 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6222 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6223 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6224 additional articles.
6230 @kindex / / (Summary)
6231 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6232 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6233 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6237 @kindex / a (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6239 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6244 @kindex / x (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6246 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6247 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6248 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6253 @kindex / u (Summary)
6255 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6256 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6257 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6258 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6259 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6262 @kindex / m (Summary)
6263 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6264 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6265 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6268 @kindex / t (Summary)
6269 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6270 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6271 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6272 articles younger than that number of days.
6275 @kindex / n (Summary)
6276 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6277 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6278 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6279 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6282 @kindex / w (Summary)
6283 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6284 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6285 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6289 @kindex / . (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6291 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6292 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6295 @kindex / v (Summary)
6296 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6297 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6298 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6301 @kindex / p (Summary)
6302 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6303 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6304 group parameter predicate
6305 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6306 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6310 @kindex M S (Summary)
6311 @kindex / E (Summary)
6312 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6313 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6314 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6317 @kindex / D (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6319 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6320 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6323 @kindex / * (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6325 Include all cached articles in the limit
6326 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6329 @kindex / d (Summary)
6330 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6331 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6332 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6335 @kindex / M (Summary)
6336 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6337 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6340 @kindex / T (Summary)
6341 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6342 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6345 @kindex / c (Summary)
6346 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6347 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6348 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6351 @kindex / C (Summary)
6352 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6353 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6354 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6355 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6358 @kindex / N (Summary)
6359 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6360 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6361 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6364 @kindex / o (Summary)
6365 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6366 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6367 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6375 @cindex article threading
6377 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6378 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6379 hierarchical fashion.
6381 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6382 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6383 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6384 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6385 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6386 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6387 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6389 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6393 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6396 A tree-like article structure.
6399 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6402 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6403 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6404 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6405 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6406 called loose threads.
6408 @item thread gathering
6409 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6411 @item sparse threads
6412 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6413 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6419 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6420 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6424 @node Customizing Threading
6425 @subsection Customizing Threading
6426 @cindex customizing threading
6429 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6430 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6431 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6432 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6437 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6440 @cindex loose threads
6443 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6444 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6445 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6446 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6447 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6448 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6450 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6451 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6452 There are four possible values:
6456 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6457 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6458 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6459 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6460 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6465 @cindex adopting articles
6470 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6471 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6472 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6473 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6476 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6477 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6478 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6479 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6480 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6481 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6482 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6483 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6484 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6485 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6488 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6489 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6490 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6494 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6495 display them after one another.
6498 Don't gather loose threads.
6501 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6502 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6503 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6504 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6505 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6506 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6507 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6508 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6509 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6510 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6511 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6513 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6514 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6515 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6518 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6519 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6520 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6521 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6522 simplification is used.
6524 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6525 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6526 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6527 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6529 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6531 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6537 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6538 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6539 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6540 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6545 (mapconcat 'identity
6546 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6548 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6551 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6554 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6555 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6556 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6557 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6558 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6559 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6561 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6564 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6565 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6566 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6568 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6569 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6572 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6573 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6574 Remove excessive whitespace.
6576 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6577 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6578 Remove all whitespace.
6581 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6584 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6585 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6586 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6587 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6588 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6589 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6590 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6591 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6593 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6594 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6595 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6596 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6597 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6598 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6599 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6600 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6601 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6605 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6606 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6607 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6608 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6610 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6611 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6612 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6615 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6619 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6620 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6626 @node Filling In Threads
6627 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6630 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6631 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6632 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6633 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6634 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6635 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6636 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6637 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6638 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6639 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6640 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6641 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6644 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6645 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6646 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6648 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6649 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6650 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6653 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6654 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6655 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6656 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6657 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6658 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6659 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6660 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6661 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6662 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6663 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6664 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6665 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6666 @code{nil} by default.
6668 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6669 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6670 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6671 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6672 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6673 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6674 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6676 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6677 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6678 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6683 @node More Threading
6684 @subsubsection More Threading
6687 @item gnus-show-threads
6688 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6689 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6690 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6691 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6692 slower and more awkward.
6694 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6695 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6696 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6699 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6700 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6701 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6706 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6707 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6708 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6711 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6712 unread, but you get my drift.)
6715 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6716 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6717 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6718 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6719 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6720 threads are expunged.
6722 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6723 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6724 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6727 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6728 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6729 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6730 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6731 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6732 result in a new thread.
6734 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6735 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6736 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6739 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6740 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6741 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6742 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6743 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6744 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6745 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6746 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6747 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6748 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6749 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6754 @node Low-Level Threading
6755 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6759 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6760 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6761 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6763 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6764 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6765 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6766 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6767 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6768 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6769 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6770 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6771 meaningful. Here's one example:
6774 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6776 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6777 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6779 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6781 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6788 @node Thread Commands
6789 @subsection Thread Commands
6790 @cindex thread commands
6796 @kindex T k (Summary)
6797 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6798 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6799 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6800 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6801 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6806 @kindex T l (Summary)
6807 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6808 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6809 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6810 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6813 @kindex T i (Summary)
6814 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6815 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6816 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6819 @kindex T # (Summary)
6820 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6821 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6822 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6825 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6826 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6827 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6828 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6831 @kindex T T (Summary)
6832 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6833 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6836 @kindex T s (Summary)
6837 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6838 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6839 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6842 @kindex T h (Summary)
6843 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6844 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6847 @kindex T S (Summary)
6848 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6849 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6852 @kindex T H (Summary)
6853 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6854 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6857 @kindex T t (Summary)
6858 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6859 Re-thread the current article's thread
6860 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6861 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6864 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6865 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6866 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6867 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6871 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6872 understand the numeric prefix.
6877 @kindex T n (Summary)
6879 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6881 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6882 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6883 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6886 @kindex T p (Summary)
6888 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6890 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6891 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6892 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6895 @kindex T d (Summary)
6896 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6897 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6900 @kindex T u (Summary)
6901 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6902 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6905 @kindex T o (Summary)
6906 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6907 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6910 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6911 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6912 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6913 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6914 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6915 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6916 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6917 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6918 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6919 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6920 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6921 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6925 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6926 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6928 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6929 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6930 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6931 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6932 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6933 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6934 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6935 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6936 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6937 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6938 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6939 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6940 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6941 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6943 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6944 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6945 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6946 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6947 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6948 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6949 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6950 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6952 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6953 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6954 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6956 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6957 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6958 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6959 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6960 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6961 ascending article order.
6963 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6964 by number, you could do something like:
6967 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6968 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6969 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6970 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6973 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6974 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6975 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6976 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6977 which the articles arrived.
6979 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6983 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6985 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6986 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6989 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6990 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6991 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6992 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6995 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6996 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6997 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6998 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6999 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7000 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7001 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7002 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7003 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7004 variable. It is very similar to the
7005 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7006 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7007 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7008 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7009 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7010 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7011 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7013 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7017 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7018 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7019 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7024 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7025 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7026 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7027 @cindex article pre-fetch
7030 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7031 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7032 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7033 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7034 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7036 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7037 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7039 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7040 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7041 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7042 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7043 connection is blocked.
7045 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7046 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7047 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7048 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7050 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7051 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7052 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7053 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7056 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7059 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7060 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7061 happen automatically.
7063 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7064 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7065 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7066 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7067 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7068 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7069 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7071 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7072 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7073 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7074 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7075 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7076 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7077 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7078 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7079 article data structure as the only parameter.
7081 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7082 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7085 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7086 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7087 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7088 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7091 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7094 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7095 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7096 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7098 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7099 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7100 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7101 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7105 Remove articles when they are read.
7108 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7111 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7113 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7114 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7115 @c from the next group.
7118 @node Article Caching
7119 @section Article Caching
7120 @cindex article caching
7123 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7124 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7125 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7126 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7127 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7129 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7131 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7132 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7133 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7134 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7135 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7136 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7137 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7138 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7140 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7141 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7142 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7143 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7144 as dormant, and don't worry.
7146 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7148 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7149 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7150 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7151 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7152 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7153 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7154 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7155 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7156 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7157 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7159 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7160 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7161 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7162 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7163 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7164 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7165 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7166 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7167 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7168 not then be downloaded by this command.
7170 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7171 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7172 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7173 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7174 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7175 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7177 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7178 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7179 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7180 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7181 variables, the group is not cached.
7183 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7184 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7185 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7186 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7187 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7188 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7189 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7190 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7191 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7194 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7195 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7196 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7197 where, isn't that cool?
7199 @node Persistent Articles
7200 @section Persistent Articles
7201 @cindex persistent articles
7203 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7204 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7205 useful in my opinion.
7207 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7208 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7209 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7210 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7211 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7212 the expiry going on at the news server.
7214 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7215 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7216 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7222 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7223 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7226 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7227 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7228 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7229 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7233 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7235 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7236 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7237 interested in persistent articles:
7240 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7244 @node Article Backlog
7245 @section Article Backlog
7247 @cindex article backlog
7249 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7250 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7251 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7252 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7253 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7254 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7255 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7256 increase memory usage some.
7258 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7259 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7260 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7261 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7262 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7263 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7264 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7266 The default value is 20.
7269 @node Saving Articles
7270 @section Saving Articles
7271 @cindex saving articles
7273 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7274 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7275 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7276 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7277 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7279 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7280 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7281 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7283 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7284 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7285 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7287 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7288 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7289 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7290 deleted before saving.
7296 @kindex O o (Summary)
7298 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7299 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7300 Save the current article using the default article saver
7301 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7304 @kindex O m (Summary)
7305 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7306 Save the current article in mail format
7307 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7310 @kindex O r (Summary)
7311 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7312 Save the current article in Rmail format
7313 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7316 @kindex O f (Summary)
7317 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7318 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7319 Save the current article in plain file format
7320 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7323 @kindex O F (Summary)
7324 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7325 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7326 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7329 @kindex O b (Summary)
7330 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7331 Save the current article body in plain file format
7332 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7335 @kindex O h (Summary)
7336 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7337 Save the current article in mh folder format
7338 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7341 @kindex O v (Summary)
7342 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7343 Save the current article in a VM folder
7344 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7348 @kindex O p (Summary)
7350 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7351 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7352 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7353 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7354 complete headers in the piped output.
7357 @kindex O P (Summary)
7358 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7359 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7360 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7361 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7362 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7363 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7364 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7368 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7369 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7370 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7371 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7372 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7373 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7374 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7375 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7376 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7377 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7378 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7379 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7383 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7384 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7385 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7386 functions below, or you can create your own.
7390 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7391 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7392 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7393 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7394 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7395 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7396 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7398 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7399 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7400 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7401 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7402 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7403 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7405 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7406 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7407 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7408 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7409 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7410 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7411 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7413 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7414 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7415 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7416 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7417 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7418 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7420 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7421 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7422 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7423 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7424 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7426 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7427 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7428 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7429 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7430 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7433 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7434 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7435 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7436 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7437 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7439 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7440 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7441 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7442 reader to use this setting.
7445 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7446 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7447 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7448 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7451 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7452 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7453 available functions that generate names:
7457 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7458 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7459 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7461 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7462 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7463 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7465 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7466 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7467 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7469 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7470 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7471 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7473 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7474 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7475 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7478 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7479 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7480 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7481 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7482 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7486 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7487 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7488 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7489 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7492 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7493 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7494 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7495 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7496 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7497 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7498 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7499 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7500 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7502 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7503 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7504 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7505 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7507 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7508 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7509 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7512 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7513 lots of mail groups called things like
7514 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7515 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7516 following will do just that:
7519 (defun my-save-name (group)
7520 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7521 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7523 (setq gnus-split-methods
7524 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7529 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7530 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7531 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7532 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7533 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7534 all the files in the top level directory
7535 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7536 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7537 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7538 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7540 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7541 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7542 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7543 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7544 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7547 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7551 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7552 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7553 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7556 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7557 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7558 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7559 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7562 @node Decoding Articles
7563 @section Decoding Articles
7564 @cindex decoding articles
7566 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7567 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7570 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7571 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7572 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7573 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7574 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7575 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7579 @cindex article series
7580 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7581 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7582 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7583 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7584 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7586 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7587 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7588 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7590 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7591 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7592 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7594 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7595 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7596 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7599 @node Uuencoded Articles
7600 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7602 @cindex uuencoded articles
7607 @kindex X u (Summary)
7608 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7609 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7610 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7613 @kindex X U (Summary)
7614 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7615 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7616 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7619 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7620 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7621 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7624 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7625 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7626 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7627 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7631 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7632 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7633 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7634 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7635 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7637 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7638 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7639 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7640 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7643 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7644 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7645 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7646 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7647 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7648 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7652 @node Shell Archives
7653 @subsection Shell Archives
7655 @cindex shell archives
7656 @cindex shared articles
7658 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7659 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7660 some commands to deal with these:
7665 @kindex X s (Summary)
7666 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7667 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7670 @kindex X S (Summary)
7671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7672 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7675 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7676 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7677 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7680 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7681 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7682 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7683 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7687 @node PostScript Files
7688 @subsection PostScript Files
7694 @kindex X p (Summary)
7695 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7696 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7699 @kindex X P (Summary)
7700 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7701 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7702 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7705 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7706 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7707 View the current PostScript series
7708 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7711 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7712 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7713 View and save the current PostScript series
7714 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7719 @subsection Other Files
7723 @kindex X o (Summary)
7724 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7725 Save the current series
7726 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7729 @kindex X b (Summary)
7730 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7731 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7732 doesn't really work yet.
7736 @node Decoding Variables
7737 @subsection Decoding Variables
7739 Adjective, not verb.
7742 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7743 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7744 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7748 @node Rule Variables
7749 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7750 @cindex rule variables
7752 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7753 variables are of the form
7756 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7763 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7764 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7766 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7767 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7770 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7771 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7774 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7775 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7776 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7777 user and default view rules.
7779 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7780 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7781 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7786 @node Other Decode Variables
7787 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7790 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7792 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7793 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7794 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7795 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7796 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7800 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7801 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7804 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7805 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7806 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7809 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7810 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7811 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7812 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7813 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7816 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7817 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7818 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7820 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7821 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7822 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7823 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7824 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7827 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7828 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7829 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7831 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7832 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7833 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7834 looking for files to display.
7836 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7837 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7838 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7841 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7842 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7843 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7846 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7847 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7848 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7851 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7852 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7853 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7856 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7857 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7858 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7859 decoded articles as unread.
7861 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7862 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7863 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7864 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7866 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7867 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7868 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7870 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7871 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7873 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7874 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7875 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7876 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7878 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7879 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7880 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7881 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7882 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7883 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7884 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7885 simply dropped them.
7890 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7891 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7895 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7896 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7897 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7898 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7899 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7900 for you when you post the article.
7902 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7903 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7904 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7905 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7907 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7908 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7909 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7910 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7911 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7912 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7913 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7915 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7916 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7917 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7918 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7919 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7920 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7921 Default is @code{t}.
7927 @subsection Viewing Files
7928 @cindex viewing files
7929 @cindex pseudo-articles
7931 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7932 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7933 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7934 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7935 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7936 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7937 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7939 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7940 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7941 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7942 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7944 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7945 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7946 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7948 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7949 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7950 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7951 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7952 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7954 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7955 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7956 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7957 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7958 a list of parameters to that command.
7960 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7961 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7962 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7964 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7965 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7966 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7969 @node Article Treatment
7970 @section Article Treatment
7972 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7973 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7974 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7975 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7976 these articles easier.
7979 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7980 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7981 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7982 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7983 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7984 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7985 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
7986 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7987 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7988 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7989 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
7993 @node Article Highlighting
7994 @subsection Article Highlighting
7995 @cindex highlighting
7997 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7998 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8003 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8004 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8005 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8006 Do much highlighting of the current article
8007 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8008 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8011 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8012 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8013 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8014 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8015 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8016 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8017 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8018 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8019 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8020 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8021 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8022 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8025 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8026 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8027 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8029 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8032 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8034 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8035 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8036 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8038 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8039 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8040 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8042 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8043 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8044 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8045 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8046 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8047 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8049 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8050 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8051 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8053 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8054 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8055 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8057 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8058 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8059 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8060 that it's a citation.
8062 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8063 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8064 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8066 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8067 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8068 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8070 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8071 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8072 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8073 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8079 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8080 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8081 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8082 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8083 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8084 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8085 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8086 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8091 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8094 @node Article Fontisizing
8095 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8097 @cindex article emphasis
8099 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8100 @kindex W e (Summary)
8101 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8102 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8103 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8104 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8106 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8107 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8108 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8109 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8110 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8111 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8112 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8113 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8117 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8118 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8119 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8128 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8129 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8130 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8131 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8132 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8133 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8134 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8135 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8136 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8137 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8138 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8139 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8140 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8142 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8143 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8144 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8148 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8151 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8153 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8154 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8155 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8156 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8158 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8161 @node Article Hiding
8162 @subsection Article Hiding
8163 @cindex article hiding
8165 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8166 too much cruft in most articles.
8171 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8172 @findex gnus-article-hide
8173 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8174 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8175 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8178 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8179 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8180 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8184 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8185 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8186 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8187 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8190 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8191 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8192 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8196 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8197 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8198 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8199 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8200 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8201 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8202 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8203 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8207 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8208 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8209 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8210 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8215 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8216 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8217 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8218 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8221 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8222 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8223 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8224 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8227 @cindex stripping advertisements
8228 @cindex advertisements
8229 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8230 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8231 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8232 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8233 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8234 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8235 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8236 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8237 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8238 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8241 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8242 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8243 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8247 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8248 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8249 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8250 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8251 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8252 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8253 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8254 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8255 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8256 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8257 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8260 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8261 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8267 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8268 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8269 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8270 customizing the hiding:
8274 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8275 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8276 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8277 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8278 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8279 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8280 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8285 Starting point of the hidden text.
8287 Ending point of the hidden text.
8289 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8291 Number of lines of hidden text.
8294 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8295 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8296 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8297 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8298 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8303 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8304 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8306 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8307 following two variables:
8310 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8311 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8312 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8313 50), hide the cited text.
8315 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8316 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8317 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8322 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8323 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8324 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8325 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8326 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8327 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8331 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8332 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8333 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8335 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8336 citation customization.
8338 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8342 @node Article Washing
8343 @subsection Article Washing
8345 @cindex article washing
8347 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8348 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8350 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8351 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8354 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8355 articles by default.
8360 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8361 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8365 Force redisplaying of the current article
8366 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8367 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8368 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8369 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8372 @kindex W l (Summary)
8373 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8374 Remove page breaks from the current article
8375 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8379 @kindex W r (Summary)
8380 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8381 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8382 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8383 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8384 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8385 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8387 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8388 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8389 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8390 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8393 @kindex W m (Summary)
8394 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8395 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8399 @kindex W t (Summary)
8401 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8402 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8403 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8406 @kindex W v (Summary)
8407 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8408 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8409 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8412 @kindex W o (Summary)
8413 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8414 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8417 @kindex W d (Summary)
8418 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8419 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8421 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8423 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8424 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8425 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8426 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8429 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8430 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8431 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8432 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8435 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8436 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8437 @cindex Outlook Express
8438 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8439 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8440 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8443 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8444 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8445 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8446 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8447 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8448 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8449 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8450 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8451 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8452 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8455 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8456 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8457 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8458 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8461 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8462 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8463 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8464 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8467 @kindex W w (Summary)
8468 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8469 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8471 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8475 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8476 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8477 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8480 @kindex W C (Summary)
8481 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8482 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8483 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8486 @kindex W c (Summary)
8487 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8488 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8489 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8490 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8491 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8494 @kindex W q (Summary)
8495 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8496 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8497 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8498 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8499 makes strings like @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which
8500 doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually done
8501 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8502 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8503 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8506 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8507 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8508 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8509 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8510 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8511 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8512 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8513 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8516 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8517 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8518 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8519 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8520 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8523 @kindex W u (Summary)
8524 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8525 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8526 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8527 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8528 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8531 @kindex W h (Summary)
8532 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8533 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8534 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8535 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8537 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8539 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8540 The default is to use the function specified by
8541 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8542 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8543 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8544 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8552 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8555 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8558 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8561 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8566 @kindex W b (Summary)
8567 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8568 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8569 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8572 @kindex W B (Summary)
8573 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8574 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8575 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8578 @kindex W p (Summary)
8579 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8580 Verify a signed control message
8581 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8582 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8583 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8584 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8585 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8586 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8589 @kindex W s (Summary)
8590 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8591 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8592 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8593 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8596 @kindex W a (Summary)
8597 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8598 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8599 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8602 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8603 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8604 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8605 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8608 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8609 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8610 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8611 lines with a single empty line.
8612 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8615 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8616 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8617 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8618 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8621 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8622 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8623 Do all the three commands above
8624 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8627 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8628 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8629 Remove all blank lines
8630 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8633 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8634 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8635 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8636 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8639 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8640 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8641 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8642 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8646 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8649 @node Article Header
8650 @subsection Article Header
8652 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8657 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8658 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8659 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8662 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8663 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8664 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8665 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8668 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8669 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8670 Fold all the message headers
8671 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8675 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8676 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8677 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8682 @node Article Buttons
8683 @subsection Article Buttons
8686 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8687 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8688 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8689 button on these references.
8691 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8692 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8693 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8694 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8695 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8699 @item gnus-button-alist
8700 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8701 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8704 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8710 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8711 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8712 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8713 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8714 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8717 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8718 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8719 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8722 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8723 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8724 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8725 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8726 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8728 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8731 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8734 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8735 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8739 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8742 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8745 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8746 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8747 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8748 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8749 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8752 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8755 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8758 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8761 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8762 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8764 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8766 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8767 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8768 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8769 default values of the variables above.
8771 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8773 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8774 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8775 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8776 argument with a string naming the man page.
8778 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8780 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8781 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8782 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8784 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8785 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8786 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8787 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8788 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8789 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8790 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8791 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8792 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8793 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8794 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8795 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8797 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8798 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8799 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8800 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8801 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8804 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8805 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8806 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8807 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8809 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8811 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8812 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8813 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8814 argument, the string naming the URL.
8817 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8818 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8819 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8823 @item gnus-article-button-face
8824 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8825 Face used on buttons.
8827 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8828 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8829 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8833 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8836 @node Article Button Levels
8837 @subsection Article button levels
8838 @cindex button levels
8839 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8840 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8841 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8842 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8843 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8844 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8845 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8846 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8849 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8850 (setq gnus-parameters
8851 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8852 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8853 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8858 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8859 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8860 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8861 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8862 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8863 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8865 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8866 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8867 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8868 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8869 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8870 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8871 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8872 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8873 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8874 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8875 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8876 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8877 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8879 @item gnus-button-man-level
8880 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8881 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8882 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8884 @item gnus-button-message-level
8885 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8886 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8887 Related variables and functions include
8888 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8889 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8890 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8891 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8893 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8894 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8895 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8896 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8897 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8898 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8899 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8905 @subsection Article Date
8907 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8908 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8909 when the article was sent.
8914 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8915 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8916 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8917 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8920 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8921 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8923 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8924 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8927 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8928 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8929 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8932 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8933 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8934 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8935 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8938 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8939 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8940 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8941 @findex format-time-string
8942 Display the date using a user-defined format
8943 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8944 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8945 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8946 for a list of possible format specs.
8949 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8950 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8951 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8952 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8953 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8954 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8957 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8960 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8961 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8962 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8965 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8966 into wonderful absurdities.
8968 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8971 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8974 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8975 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8979 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8980 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8981 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8982 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8983 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8984 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8985 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8989 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8990 preferred format automatically.
8993 @node Article Display
8994 @subsection Article Display
8999 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9000 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9002 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9003 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9005 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9006 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9008 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9009 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9011 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9012 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9014 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9019 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9020 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9021 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9022 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9025 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9026 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9027 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9028 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9031 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9032 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9033 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9036 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9037 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9038 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9041 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9042 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9043 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9044 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9047 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9048 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9049 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9050 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9053 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9054 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9055 Remove all images from the article buffer
9056 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9062 @node Article Signature
9063 @subsection Article Signature
9065 @cindex article signature
9067 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9068 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9069 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9070 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9071 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9072 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9073 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9074 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9075 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9078 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9079 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9080 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9081 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9082 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9083 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9084 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9085 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9088 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9091 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9092 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9093 signature when displaying articles.
9097 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9100 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9103 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9104 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9106 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9107 in question is not a signature.
9110 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9111 listed above. Here's an example:
9114 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9115 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9118 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9119 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9120 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9121 signature after all.
9124 @node Article Miscellanea
9125 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9129 @kindex A t (Summary)
9130 @findex gnus-article-babel
9131 Translate the article from one language to another
9132 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9138 @section MIME Commands
9139 @cindex MIME decoding
9141 @cindex viewing attachments
9143 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9144 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9150 @kindex K v (Summary)
9151 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9154 @kindex K o (Summary)
9155 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9158 @kindex K c (Summary)
9159 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9162 @kindex K e (Summary)
9163 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9166 @kindex K i (Summary)
9167 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9170 @kindex K | (Summary)
9171 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9174 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9179 @kindex K b (Summary)
9180 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9181 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9185 @kindex K m (Summary)
9186 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9187 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9188 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9189 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9190 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9193 @kindex X m (Summary)
9194 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9195 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9196 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9197 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9200 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9201 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9202 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9203 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9206 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9207 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9208 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9209 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9212 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9213 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9214 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9215 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9217 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9218 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9219 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9220 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9221 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9222 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9225 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9226 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9227 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9228 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9235 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9236 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9237 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9238 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9241 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9244 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9248 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9249 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9250 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9251 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9252 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9253 default is @code{nil}.
9255 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9256 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9257 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9258 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9259 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9260 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9261 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9263 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9264 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9265 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9266 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9267 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9268 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9269 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9270 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9272 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9273 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9274 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9275 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9276 displayed. This variable overrides
9277 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9278 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9281 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9282 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9283 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9285 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9286 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9287 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9288 default value is @code{nil}.
9290 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9291 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9292 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9293 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9294 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9295 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9296 save all jpegs into some directory).
9298 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9301 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9302 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9304 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9305 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9306 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9307 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9308 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9311 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9312 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9313 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9315 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9316 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9317 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9318 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9320 Ready-made functions include@*
9321 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9322 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9323 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9324 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9325 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9326 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9327 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9328 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9329 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9330 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9331 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9332 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9334 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9335 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9337 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9338 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9339 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9342 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9343 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9344 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9345 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9349 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9358 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9359 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9360 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9361 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9362 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9363 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9364 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9366 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9367 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9368 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9369 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9371 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9372 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9373 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9374 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9375 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9376 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9377 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9378 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9379 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9381 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9382 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9383 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9384 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9385 quoted-printable header encoding.
9387 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9388 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9389 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9393 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9396 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9397 means encode all charsets),
9399 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9400 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9401 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9408 @cindex coding system aliases
9409 @cindex preferred charset
9411 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9413 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9414 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9417 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9418 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9421 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9422 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9424 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9427 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9430 This will almost do the right thing.
9432 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9436 (codepage-setup 1251)
9437 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9441 @node Article Commands
9442 @section Article Commands
9449 @kindex A P (Summary)
9450 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9451 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9452 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9453 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9454 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9455 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9460 @node Summary Sorting
9461 @section Summary Sorting
9462 @cindex summary sorting
9464 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9465 can't really see why you'd want that.
9470 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9471 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9472 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9475 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9476 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9477 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9480 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9481 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9482 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9485 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9486 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9487 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9490 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9491 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9492 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9495 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9496 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9497 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9500 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9501 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9502 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9505 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9506 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9507 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9510 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9511 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9512 Sort using the default sorting method
9513 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9516 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9517 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9518 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9519 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9520 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9524 @node Finding the Parent
9525 @section Finding the Parent
9526 @cindex parent articles
9527 @cindex referring articles
9532 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9533 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9534 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9535 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9536 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9537 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9538 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9539 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9540 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9542 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9543 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9544 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9545 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9546 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9550 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9551 @kindex A R (Summary)
9552 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9553 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9556 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9557 @kindex A T (Summary)
9558 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9559 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9560 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9561 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9562 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9563 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9564 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9566 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9567 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9568 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9569 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9570 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9571 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9574 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9575 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9577 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9578 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9579 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9580 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9581 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9582 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9583 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9586 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9587 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9588 by giving this command a prefix.
9590 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9591 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9592 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9593 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9594 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9595 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9598 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9599 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9600 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9603 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9604 then ask Google if that fails:
9607 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9609 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9612 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9613 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9614 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9615 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9616 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9617 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9618 support this at all.
9621 @node Alternative Approaches
9622 @section Alternative Approaches
9624 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9625 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9628 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9629 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9634 @subsection Pick and Read
9635 @cindex pick and read
9637 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9638 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9639 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9640 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9642 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9643 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9644 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9645 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9646 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9647 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9649 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9654 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9655 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9656 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9657 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9658 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9659 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9660 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9661 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9664 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9665 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9666 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9667 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9671 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9672 Unpick the thread or article
9673 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9674 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9675 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9676 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9677 the thread or article at that line.
9681 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9682 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9683 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9684 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9685 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9686 will still be visible when you are reading.
9690 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9691 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9692 which is mapped to the same function
9693 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9695 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9698 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9701 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9702 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9704 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9705 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9706 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9708 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9709 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9710 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9711 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9712 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9713 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9714 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9718 @subsection Binary Groups
9719 @cindex binary groups
9721 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9722 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9723 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9724 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9725 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9726 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9727 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9730 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9731 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9732 command, when you have turned on this mode
9733 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9735 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9736 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9740 @section Tree Display
9743 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9744 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9745 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9746 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9749 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9752 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9753 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9754 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9756 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9757 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9758 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9759 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9760 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9762 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9763 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9764 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9765 default is @code{modeline}.
9767 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9768 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9769 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9770 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9771 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9772 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9773 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9779 The name of the poster.
9781 The @code{From} header.
9783 The number of the article.
9785 The opening bracket.
9787 The closing bracket.
9792 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9794 Variables related to the display are:
9797 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9798 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9799 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9800 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9802 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9803 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9804 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9806 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9808 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9809 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9810 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9811 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9815 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9816 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9817 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9818 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9819 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9820 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9821 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9822 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9823 other windows displayed next to it.
9825 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9829 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9830 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9833 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9834 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9835 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9836 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9837 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9838 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9839 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9843 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9846 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9856 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9861 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9862 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9864 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9866 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9872 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9873 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9874 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9877 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9878 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9879 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9880 (gnus-add-configuration
9884 (summary 0.75 point)
9889 @xref{Window Layout}.
9892 @node Mail Group Commands
9893 @section Mail Group Commands
9894 @cindex mail group commands
9896 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9897 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9899 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9900 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9905 @kindex B e (Summary)
9906 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9907 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9908 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9909 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9910 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9913 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9914 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9915 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9916 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9917 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9918 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9921 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9922 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9923 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9924 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9925 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9926 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9929 @kindex B m (Summary)
9931 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9932 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9933 Move the article from one mail group to another
9934 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9935 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9938 @kindex B c (Summary)
9940 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9941 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9942 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9943 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9944 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9947 @kindex B B (Summary)
9948 @cindex crosspost mail
9949 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9950 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9951 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9952 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9953 be properly updated.
9956 @kindex B i (Summary)
9957 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9958 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9959 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9960 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9963 @kindex B I (Summary)
9964 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9965 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9966 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9967 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9970 @kindex B r (Summary)
9971 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9972 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9973 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9974 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9975 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9976 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9977 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9978 (which is the default).
9982 @kindex B w (Summary)
9984 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9985 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9986 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9987 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9988 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9989 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9990 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9993 @kindex B q (Summary)
9994 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9995 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9996 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9997 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10000 @kindex B t (Summary)
10001 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10002 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10003 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10006 @kindex B p (Summary)
10007 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10008 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10009 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10010 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10011 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10012 article from your news server (or rather, from
10013 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10014 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10015 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10016 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10017 just not have arrived yet.
10020 @kindex K E (Summary)
10021 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10022 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10023 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10024 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10025 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10029 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10030 @cindex moving articles
10031 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10032 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10033 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10034 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10035 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10036 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10037 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10040 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10041 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10042 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10043 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10047 @node Various Summary Stuff
10048 @section Various Summary Stuff
10051 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10052 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10053 * Summary Generation Commands::
10054 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10058 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10059 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10060 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10061 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10062 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10063 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10065 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10066 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10067 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10070 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10071 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10072 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10074 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10075 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10076 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10077 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10078 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10079 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10082 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10083 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10084 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10085 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10086 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10088 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10089 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10090 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10093 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10094 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10095 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10096 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10097 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10098 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10099 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10100 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10101 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10102 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10104 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10105 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10106 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10107 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10108 list of articles to be selected.
10110 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10111 the list in one particular group:
10114 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10115 (if (string= group "some.group")
10116 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10120 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10121 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10122 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10123 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10124 @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary buffer is
10125 active. These variables can be used to set variables in the group
10126 parameters while still allowing them to affect operations done in
10127 other buffers. For example:
10130 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10131 '(message-use-followup-to
10132 (gnus-visible-headers .
10133 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10139 @node Summary Group Information
10140 @subsection Summary Group Information
10145 @kindex H f (Summary)
10146 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10147 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10148 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10149 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10150 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10151 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10152 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10153 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10154 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10157 @kindex H d (Summary)
10158 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10159 Give a brief description of the current group
10160 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10161 rereading the description from the server.
10164 @kindex H h (Summary)
10165 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10166 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10167 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10170 @kindex H i (Summary)
10171 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10172 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10176 @node Searching for Articles
10177 @subsection Searching for Articles
10182 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10183 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10184 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10185 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10188 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10189 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10190 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10191 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10194 @kindex & (Summary)
10195 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10196 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10197 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10198 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10199 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10200 search backward instead.
10202 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10203 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10206 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10207 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10208 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10209 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10212 @node Summary Generation Commands
10213 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10218 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10219 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10220 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10223 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10224 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10225 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10226 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10229 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10230 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10231 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10232 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10237 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10238 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10244 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10245 @kindex A D (Summary)
10246 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10247 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10248 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10249 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10250 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10251 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10252 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10253 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10257 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10258 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10259 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10260 several documents into one biiig group
10261 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10262 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10263 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10264 command understands the process/prefix convention
10265 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10268 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10269 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10270 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10271 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10272 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10273 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10276 @kindex = (Summary)
10277 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10278 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10279 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10282 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10283 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10284 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10285 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10288 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10289 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10290 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10291 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10296 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10297 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10298 @cindex summary exit
10299 @cindex exiting groups
10301 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10302 group and return you to the group buffer.
10308 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10309 @kindex q (Summary)
10310 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10311 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10312 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10313 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10314 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10315 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10316 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10317 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10318 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10319 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10320 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10321 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10325 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10326 @kindex Q (Summary)
10327 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10328 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10329 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10333 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10334 @kindex c (Summary)
10335 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10336 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10337 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10338 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10341 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10342 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10343 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10344 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10347 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10348 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10349 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10350 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10353 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10354 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10355 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10356 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10357 all articles, both read and unread.
10361 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10362 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10363 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10364 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10365 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10366 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10367 articles, both read and unread.
10370 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10371 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10372 Exit the group and go to the next group
10373 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10376 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10377 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10378 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10379 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10382 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10383 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10384 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10385 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10386 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10387 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10390 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10391 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10392 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10393 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10395 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10396 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10397 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10398 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10399 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10400 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10401 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10402 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10403 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10404 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10405 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10406 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10408 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10410 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10411 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10412 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10413 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10414 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10415 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10416 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10417 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10418 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10421 @node Crosspost Handling
10422 @section Crosspost Handling
10426 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10427 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10428 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10429 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10430 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10431 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10434 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10435 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10436 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10437 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10438 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10440 @cindex cross-posting
10442 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10443 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10444 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10445 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10446 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10447 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10448 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10449 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10450 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10451 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10452 the cross reference mechanism.
10454 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10455 @cindex overview.fmt
10456 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10457 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10458 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10459 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10460 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10461 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10464 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10465 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10466 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10471 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10474 @node Duplicate Suppression
10475 @section Duplicate Suppression
10477 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10478 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10479 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10480 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10485 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10486 is evil and not very common.
10489 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10490 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10493 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10494 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10497 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10500 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10501 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10503 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10504 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10505 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10506 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10507 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10508 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10509 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10512 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10513 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10514 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10515 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10516 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10517 saw the article in.
10520 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10521 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10522 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10524 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10525 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10526 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10527 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10528 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10529 session are suppressed.
10531 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10532 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10533 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10534 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10536 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10537 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10538 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10539 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10542 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10543 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10544 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10545 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10546 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10547 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10548 to you to figure out, I think.
10553 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10554 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10555 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10560 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10561 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10562 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10563 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10566 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10567 or newer is recommended.
10571 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10572 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10575 @item mm-verify-option
10576 @vindex mm-verify-option
10577 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10578 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10579 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10581 @item mm-decrypt-option
10582 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10583 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10584 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10585 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10588 @vindex mml1991-use
10589 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10590 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10591 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10595 @vindex mml2015-use
10596 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10597 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10598 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10603 @cindex snarfing keys
10604 @cindex importing PGP keys
10605 @cindex PGP key ring import
10606 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10607 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10608 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10609 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10610 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10611 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10612 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10613 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10614 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10617 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10620 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10621 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10624 @section Mailing List
10625 @cindex mailing list
10628 @kindex A M (summary)
10629 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10630 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10631 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10632 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10635 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10640 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10641 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10642 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10645 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10646 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10647 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10650 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10651 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10652 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10656 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10657 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10658 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10661 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10662 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10663 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10666 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10667 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10668 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10673 @node Article Buffer
10674 @chapter Article Buffer
10675 @cindex article buffer
10677 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10678 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10679 tell Gnus otherwise.
10682 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10683 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10684 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10685 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10686 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10690 @node Hiding Headers
10691 @section Hiding Headers
10692 @cindex hiding headers
10693 @cindex deleting headers
10695 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10696 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10698 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10699 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10700 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10701 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10702 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10703 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10704 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10705 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10706 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10708 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10712 @item gnus-visible-headers
10713 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10714 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10715 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10716 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10718 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10719 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10722 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10725 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10728 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10729 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10730 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10731 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10732 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10733 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10735 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10736 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10739 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10742 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10745 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10746 variable will have no effect.
10750 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10751 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10752 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10753 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10754 the headers are to be displayed.
10756 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10757 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10760 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10763 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10764 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10766 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10767 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10768 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10769 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10770 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10771 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10772 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10775 These conditions are:
10778 Remove all empty headers.
10780 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10781 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10783 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10784 @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter is
10787 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10790 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10791 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10793 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10794 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10796 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10797 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10799 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10802 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10804 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10807 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10810 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10811 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10814 This is also the default value for this variable.
10818 @section Using MIME
10819 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10821 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10822 while people stand around yawning.
10824 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10825 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10827 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10828 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10829 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10831 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10832 @findex gnus-display-mime
10833 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10834 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10835 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10836 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
10838 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10839 @acronym{MIME} button:
10842 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10843 @item RET (Article)
10844 @kindex RET (Article)
10845 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10846 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
10847 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
10848 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10849 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10850 object is displayed inline.
10852 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10853 @item M-RET (Article)
10854 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10856 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10857 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10859 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10861 @kindex t (Article)
10862 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
10863 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10865 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10867 @kindex C (Article)
10868 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10869 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10871 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10873 @kindex o (Article)
10874 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
10875 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10877 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10878 @item C-o (Article)
10879 @kindex C-o (Article)
10880 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
10881 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10882 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10883 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
10884 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10885 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10887 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10889 @kindex d (Article)
10890 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
10891 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
10892 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10894 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10896 @kindex c (Article)
10897 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10898 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10899 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10900 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10901 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10903 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10905 @kindex p (Article)
10906 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10907 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10908 @file{.mailcap} file.
10910 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10912 @kindex i (Article)
10913 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
10914 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10915 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10916 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10917 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
10920 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10922 @kindex E (Article)
10923 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10924 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10925 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10927 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10929 @kindex e (Article)
10930 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
10931 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10933 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10935 @kindex | (Article)
10936 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10938 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10940 @kindex . (Article)
10941 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
10942 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10946 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10947 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10948 @acronym{MIME} manual.
10950 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10951 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10952 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
10953 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10954 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10955 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10956 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10957 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10958 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10960 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10962 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10965 @node Customizing Articles
10966 @section Customizing Articles
10967 @cindex article customization
10969 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10970 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10971 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10972 called automatically when you select the articles.
10974 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10975 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10976 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10977 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10979 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10980 for sensible values.
10984 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10987 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10990 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10993 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10996 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11000 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11001 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11002 regexps in the list.
11005 A list where the first element is not a string:
11007 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11008 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11009 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11013 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11018 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11019 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11020 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11021 considered to contain just a single part.
11023 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11024 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11025 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11026 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11027 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11028 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11029 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11031 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11032 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11033 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11034 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11037 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11038 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11040 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11042 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11043 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11044 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11045 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11046 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11047 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11048 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11049 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11050 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11051 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11053 @xref{Article Washing}.
11055 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11056 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11057 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11058 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11059 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11060 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11061 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11063 @xref{Article Date}.
11065 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11066 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11067 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11071 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11073 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11075 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11076 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11077 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11081 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11085 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11089 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11090 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11091 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11092 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11093 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11094 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11095 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11096 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11097 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11098 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11100 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11102 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11103 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11104 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11106 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11108 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11109 @item gnus-treat-translate
11110 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11112 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11113 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11114 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11115 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11117 @xref{Article Header}.
11122 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11123 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11124 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11125 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11126 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11130 @node Article Keymap
11131 @section Article Keymap
11133 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11134 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11135 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11136 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11139 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11144 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11145 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11146 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11147 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11150 @kindex DEL (Article)
11151 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11152 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11153 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11156 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11157 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11158 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11159 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11160 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11163 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11164 @findex gnus-article-mail
11165 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11166 given a prefix, include the mail.
11169 @kindex s (Article)
11170 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11171 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11172 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11175 @kindex ? (Article)
11176 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11177 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11178 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11181 @kindex TAB (Article)
11182 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11183 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11184 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11187 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11188 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11189 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11192 @kindex R (Article)
11193 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11194 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11195 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11196 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11200 @kindex F (Article)
11201 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11202 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11203 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11204 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11212 @section Misc Article
11216 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11217 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11218 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11219 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11222 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11223 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11224 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11225 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11226 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11228 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11229 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11230 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11231 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11232 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11233 the contents of the article buffer.
11235 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11236 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11237 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11239 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11240 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11241 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11242 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11244 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11245 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11246 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11247 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11249 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11250 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11251 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11252 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11253 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11259 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11260 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11261 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11266 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11269 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11272 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11273 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11274 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11277 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11280 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11283 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11288 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11292 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11294 @item gnus-break-pages
11295 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11296 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11297 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11298 paging will not be done.
11300 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11301 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11302 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11306 @cindex internationalized domain names
11307 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11308 @item gnus-use-idna
11309 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11310 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11311 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11312 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11313 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11318 @node Composing Messages
11319 @chapter Composing Messages
11320 @cindex composing messages
11323 @cindex sending mail
11328 @cindex using s/mime
11329 @cindex using smime
11331 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11332 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11333 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11334 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11335 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11336 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11339 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11340 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11341 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11342 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11343 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11344 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11345 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11346 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11349 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11350 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11356 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11359 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11360 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11361 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11362 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11363 @code{nil} include all headers.
11365 @item gnus-add-to-list
11366 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11367 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11368 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11370 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11371 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11372 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11373 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11374 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11375 confirmation is should be asked for.
11377 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11378 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11380 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11381 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11382 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11383 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11384 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11389 @node Posting Server
11390 @section Posting Server
11392 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11393 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11395 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11397 It can be quite complicated.
11399 @vindex gnus-post-method
11400 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11401 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11402 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11403 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11404 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11405 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11406 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11407 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11408 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11411 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11414 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11415 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11416 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11417 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11419 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11420 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11422 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11423 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11426 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11427 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11429 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11430 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11431 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11432 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11433 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11434 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11435 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11436 package correctly. An example:
11439 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11440 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11443 To the thing similar to this, there is
11444 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your ISP requires
11445 the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. See the
11446 documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11448 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11449 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11450 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11452 @node Mail and Post
11453 @section Mail and Post
11455 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11459 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11460 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11461 @cindex mailing lists
11463 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11464 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11465 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11466 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11467 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11468 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11469 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11470 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11471 still a pain, though.
11473 @item gnus-user-agent
11474 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11477 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11478 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11479 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11480 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11481 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11482 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11483 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11487 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11488 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11489 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11492 @findex ispell-message
11494 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11497 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11498 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11501 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11505 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11506 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11508 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11511 Modify to suit your needs.
11514 @node Archived Messages
11515 @section Archived Messages
11516 @cindex archived messages
11517 @cindex sent messages
11519 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11520 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11521 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11522 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11525 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11526 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11529 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11530 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11531 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11534 (nnfolder "archive"
11535 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11536 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11537 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11538 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11541 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11542 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11543 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11544 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11547 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11548 '(nnfolder "archive"
11549 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11550 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11551 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11554 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11556 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11557 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11558 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11560 This variable can be used to do the following:
11564 Messages will be saved in that group.
11566 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11567 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11568 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11569 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11570 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11571 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11572 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11573 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11576 @item a list of strings
11577 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11579 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11580 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11583 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11588 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11590 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11593 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11595 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11598 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11600 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11601 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11602 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11603 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11606 More complex stuff:
11608 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11609 '((if (message-news-p)
11614 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11615 messages in one file per month:
11618 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11619 '((if (message-news-p)
11621 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11624 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11625 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11627 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11628 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11629 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11630 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11631 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11632 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11633 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11634 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11635 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11636 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11638 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11639 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11640 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11641 this will disable archiving.
11644 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11645 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11646 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11647 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11648 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11651 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11652 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11653 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11656 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11657 but the latter is the preferred method.
11659 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11660 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11661 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11663 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11664 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11665 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11666 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11667 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11668 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11669 changed in the future.
11674 @node Posting Styles
11675 @section Posting Styles
11676 @cindex posting styles
11679 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11681 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11682 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11683 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11686 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11687 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11688 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11689 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11690 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11695 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11696 (organization "What me?"))
11698 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11699 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11700 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11703 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11704 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11705 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11706 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11707 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11708 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11709 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11710 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11712 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11713 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11714 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11715 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11716 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11717 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11718 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11719 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11720 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11721 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11722 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11723 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11724 said to @dfn{match}.
11726 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11727 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11728 attribute name can be one of:
11731 @item @code{signature}
11732 @item @code{signature-file}
11733 @item @code{x-face-file}
11734 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11735 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11739 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11740 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11741 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11742 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11743 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11745 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11746 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11747 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11748 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11749 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11750 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11751 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11752 references chars lines xref extra.
11754 @vindex message-reply-headers
11756 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11757 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11758 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11760 @findex message-mail-p
11761 @findex message-news-p
11763 So here's a new example:
11766 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11768 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11770 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11771 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11773 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11774 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11775 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11776 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11777 (signature my-news-signature))
11778 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11779 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11780 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11781 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11782 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11783 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11784 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11785 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11786 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11787 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11789 (From (save-excursion
11790 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11791 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11793 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11796 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11797 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11798 if you fill many roles.
11805 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11806 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11807 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11808 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11809 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11811 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11812 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11813 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11814 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11815 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11819 @vindex nndraft-directory
11820 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11821 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11822 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11823 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11824 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11825 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11827 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11828 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11829 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11830 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11831 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11832 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11833 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11834 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11835 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11837 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11838 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11839 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11840 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11841 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11842 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11843 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11844 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11845 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11846 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11847 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11848 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11849 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11850 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11852 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11853 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11854 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11856 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11857 @kindex D e (Draft)
11858 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11859 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11860 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11862 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11865 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11866 @kindex D s (Draft)
11867 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11868 @kindex D S (Draft)
11869 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11870 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11871 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11872 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11873 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11876 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11877 @kindex D t (Draft)
11878 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11879 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11880 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11883 @node Rejected Articles
11884 @section Rejected Articles
11885 @cindex rejected articles
11887 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11888 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11889 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11890 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11892 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11893 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11894 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11895 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11896 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11898 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11899 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11900 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11902 @node Signing and encrypting
11903 @section Signing and encrypting
11905 @cindex using s/mime
11906 @cindex using smime
11908 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11909 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11910 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11911 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11913 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11914 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11915 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11916 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11917 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11918 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11919 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11920 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11921 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11922 automatically encrypted messages.
11924 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @acronym{MIME} part is
11925 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11926 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11931 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11932 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11934 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11937 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11938 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11940 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11943 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11944 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11946 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11949 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11950 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11952 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11955 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11956 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11958 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11961 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11962 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11964 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11967 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11968 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11969 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11973 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11975 @node Select Methods
11976 @chapter Select Methods
11977 @cindex foreign groups
11978 @cindex select methods
11980 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11981 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11982 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11983 personal mail group.
11985 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11986 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11987 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11988 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11989 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11990 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11992 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11993 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11995 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11998 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
11999 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12000 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12001 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12002 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12004 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12007 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12008 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12009 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12010 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12011 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12012 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12013 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12014 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12018 @node Server Buffer
12019 @section Server Buffer
12021 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12022 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12023 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12024 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12025 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12026 back end represents a virtual server.
12028 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12029 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12030 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12031 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12033 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12034 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12035 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12036 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12037 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12038 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12039 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12041 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12042 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12045 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12046 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12047 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12048 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12049 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12050 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12051 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12054 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12055 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12058 @node Server Buffer Format
12059 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12060 @cindex server buffer format
12062 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12063 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12064 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12065 variable, with some simple extensions:
12070 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12073 The name of this server.
12076 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12079 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12082 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12083 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12084 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12085 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12095 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12098 @node Server Commands
12099 @subsection Server Commands
12100 @cindex server commands
12106 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12107 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12111 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12112 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12115 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12116 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12117 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12121 @findex gnus-server-exit
12122 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12126 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12127 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12131 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12132 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12136 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12137 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12141 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12142 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12146 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12147 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12148 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12153 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12154 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12155 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12156 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12161 @node Example Methods
12162 @subsection Example Methods
12164 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12167 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12170 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12176 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12177 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12180 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12181 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12183 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12184 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12188 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12191 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12192 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12194 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12195 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12196 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12200 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12203 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12206 Here's the method for a public spool:
12210 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12211 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12217 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12218 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12219 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12220 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12221 should probably look something like this:
12225 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12226 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12227 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12228 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12231 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12232 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12233 configuration to the example above:
12236 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12239 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12241 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12242 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12243 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12247 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12248 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12249 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12250 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12253 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12254 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12255 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12256 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12259 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12260 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12262 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12263 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12265 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12266 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12267 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12269 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12271 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12272 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12273 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12274 will contain the following:
12284 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12285 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12288 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12289 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12290 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12293 @node Server Variables
12294 @subsection Server Variables
12295 @cindex server variables
12296 @cindex server parameters
12298 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12299 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12300 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12301 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12302 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12304 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12305 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12306 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12307 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12308 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12309 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12310 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12311 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12312 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12316 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12317 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12318 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12321 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12323 @node Servers and Methods
12324 @subsection Servers and Methods
12326 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12327 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12328 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12329 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12333 @node Unavailable Servers
12334 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12336 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12337 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12338 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12339 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12340 actually the case or not.
12342 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12343 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12344 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12345 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12346 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12347 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12348 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12349 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12351 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12352 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12354 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12355 with the following commands:
12361 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12362 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12363 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12367 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12368 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12369 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12373 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12374 Mark the current server as unreachable
12375 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12378 @kindex M-o (Server)
12379 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12380 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12381 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12384 @kindex M-c (Server)
12385 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12386 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12387 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12391 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12392 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12393 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12397 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12398 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12404 @section Getting News
12405 @cindex reading news
12406 @cindex news back ends
12408 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12409 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12410 or it can read from a local spool.
12413 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12414 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12422 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12423 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12424 server as the, uhm, address.
12426 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12427 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12428 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12429 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12431 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12432 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12433 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12435 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12440 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12441 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12442 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12444 @cindex authentification
12445 @cindex nntp authentification
12446 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12447 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12448 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12449 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12450 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12451 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12452 present in this hook.
12454 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12455 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12456 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12457 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12458 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12459 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12460 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12461 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12462 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12463 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12464 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12465 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12469 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12472 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12474 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12475 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12476 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12477 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12478 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12479 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12480 @samp{force} is explained below.
12484 Here's an example file:
12487 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12488 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12491 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12492 have to be first, for instance.
12494 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12495 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12496 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12497 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12498 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12499 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12500 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12502 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12503 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12509 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12510 previously mentioned.
12512 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12514 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12515 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12516 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12517 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12518 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12521 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12522 '(("innd" (ding))))
12525 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12527 The default value is
12530 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12531 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12532 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12535 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12536 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12538 @item nntp-maximum-request
12539 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12540 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12541 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12542 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12543 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12544 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12545 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12547 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12548 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12549 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12550 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12551 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12552 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12553 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12554 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12555 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12556 no timeouts are done.
12558 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12559 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12560 @c @cindex PPP connections
12561 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12562 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12563 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12564 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12565 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12566 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12567 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12568 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12569 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12570 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12572 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12573 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12574 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12575 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12576 @c described above.
12578 @item nntp-server-hook
12579 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12580 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12583 @item nntp-buggy-select
12584 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12585 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12587 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12588 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12589 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12590 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12593 @item nntp-xover-commands
12594 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12595 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12597 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12598 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12602 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12603 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12604 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12605 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12606 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12607 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12608 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12609 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12610 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12611 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12612 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12614 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12615 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12616 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12618 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12619 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12620 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12621 server closes connection.
12623 @item nntp-record-commands
12624 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12625 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12626 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12627 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12628 that doesn't seem to work.
12630 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12631 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12632 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12633 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12634 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12635 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12636 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12637 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12639 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12640 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12641 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12642 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12643 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12644 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12645 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12648 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12651 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12652 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12654 @item nntp-read-timeout
12655 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12656 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12657 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12658 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12659 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12665 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12666 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12667 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12671 @node Direct Functions
12672 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12673 @cindex direct connection functions
12675 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12676 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12677 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12678 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12681 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12682 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12683 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12686 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12687 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12688 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12689 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12690 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12693 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12694 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12696 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12697 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12698 (nntp-port-number )
12699 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12702 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12703 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12704 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12705 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12706 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12707 then define a server as follows:
12710 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12711 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12713 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12714 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12715 (nntp-port-number 563)
12716 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12719 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12720 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12721 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12722 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12723 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12724 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12725 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12726 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12730 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12731 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12732 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12735 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12736 session, which is not a good idea.
12740 @node Indirect Functions
12741 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12742 @cindex indirect connection functions
12744 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12745 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12746 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12747 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12748 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12749 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12752 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12753 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12754 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12755 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12756 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12758 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12761 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12762 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12763 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12764 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12766 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12767 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12768 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12769 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12770 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12771 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12772 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12773 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12777 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12778 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12779 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12780 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12782 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12785 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12786 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12787 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12790 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12791 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12792 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12793 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12795 @item nntp-via-user-password
12796 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12797 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12799 @item nntp-via-envuser
12800 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12801 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12802 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12803 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12805 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12806 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12807 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12808 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12815 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12820 @item nntp-via-user-name
12821 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12822 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12824 @item nntp-via-address
12825 @vindex nntp-via-address
12826 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12831 @node Common Variables
12832 @subsubsection Common Variables
12834 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12835 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12840 @item nntp-pre-command
12841 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12842 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12843 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12844 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12845 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12848 @vindex nntp-address
12849 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12851 @item nntp-port-number
12852 @vindex nntp-port-number
12853 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12854 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
12855 @acronym{tls}/@acronym{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12856 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
12857 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
12858 not work with named ports.
12860 @item nntp-end-of-line
12861 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12862 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
12863 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12864 using a non native connection function.
12866 @item nntp-telnet-command
12867 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12868 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
12869 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
12870 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12873 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12874 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12875 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12882 @subsection News Spool
12886 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12887 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12888 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12891 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12892 anything else) as the address.
12894 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12895 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12896 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12897 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12901 @item nnspool-inews-program
12902 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12903 Program used to post an article.
12905 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12906 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12907 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12909 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12910 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12911 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12912 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12914 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12915 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12916 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
12917 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12919 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12920 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12921 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12923 @item nnspool-active-file
12924 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12925 The name of the active file.
12927 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12928 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12929 The name of the group descriptions file.
12931 @item nnspool-history-file
12932 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12933 The name of the news history file.
12935 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12936 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12937 The name of the active date file.
12939 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12940 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12941 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
12944 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12945 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12947 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12948 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
12949 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
12956 @section Getting Mail
12957 @cindex reading mail
12960 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12964 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12965 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12966 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12967 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12968 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12969 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12970 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12971 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12972 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12973 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
12974 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12975 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12976 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12980 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12981 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12983 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12984 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12985 of a culture shock.
12987 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12988 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12990 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12991 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12992 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12993 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12995 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12997 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12998 deleted? How awful!
13000 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13001 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13002 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13003 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13006 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13007 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13008 they want to treat a message.
13010 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13011 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13012 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13013 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13014 archived somewhere else.
13016 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13017 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13018 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13019 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13020 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13022 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13023 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13024 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13026 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13027 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13030 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13031 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13032 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13033 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13034 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13036 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13037 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13038 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13039 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13040 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13041 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13045 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13046 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13048 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13049 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13050 and things will happen automatically.
13052 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13053 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13056 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13059 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13060 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13061 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13062 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13063 like any other group.
13065 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13068 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13069 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13070 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13074 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13075 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13076 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13079 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13080 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13081 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13084 @node Splitting Mail
13085 @subsection Splitting Mail
13086 @cindex splitting mail
13087 @cindex mail splitting
13088 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13090 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13091 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13092 to be split into groups.
13095 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13096 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13097 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13098 ("mail.other" "")))
13101 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13102 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13103 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13104 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13105 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13106 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13107 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13110 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13113 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13114 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13115 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13116 mail belongs in that group.
13118 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13119 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13120 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13121 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13122 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13123 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13125 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13126 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13127 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13128 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13129 thinks should carry this mail message.
13131 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13132 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13133 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13134 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13136 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13137 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13138 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13139 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13140 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13142 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13145 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13146 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13147 links. If that's the case for you, set
13148 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13149 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13151 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13152 @findex nnmail-split-history
13153 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13154 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13155 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13156 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13159 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13160 Header lines longer than the value of
13161 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13164 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13165 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13166 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13167 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13168 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13169 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13170 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13171 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13173 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13174 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13175 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13176 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13177 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13178 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13179 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13180 other kinds of entries.)
13182 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13183 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13184 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13185 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13186 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13187 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13188 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13189 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13190 month's rent money.
13194 @subsection Mail Sources
13196 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13197 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13198 maildir, for instance.
13201 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13202 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13203 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13207 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13208 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13210 @cindex mail server
13213 @cindex mail source
13215 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13216 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13221 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13224 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13225 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13226 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13229 The following mail source types are available:
13233 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13239 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13240 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13241 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13245 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13248 An example file mail source:
13251 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13254 Or using the default file name:
13260 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13261 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13262 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13263 mail spool while moving the mail.
13265 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13269 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13272 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13276 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13279 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13281 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13284 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13288 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13289 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13290 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13291 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13292 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13293 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13294 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13295 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13296 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13297 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13299 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13300 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13301 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13302 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13308 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13312 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13316 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13317 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13318 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13319 predicate are considered.
13323 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13327 An example directory mail source:
13330 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13335 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13341 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13342 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13345 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13346 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13347 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13348 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13349 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13352 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13356 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13357 the user is prompted.
13360 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13361 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13364 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13367 The valid format specifier characters are:
13371 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13372 included in this string.
13375 The name of the server.
13378 The port number of the server.
13381 The user name to use.
13384 The password to use.
13387 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13388 corresponding keywords.
13391 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13392 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13395 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13396 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13399 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13400 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13401 mail should be moved to.
13403 @item :authentication
13404 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13405 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13410 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13411 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13413 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13414 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13420 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13423 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13424 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13427 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13430 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13434 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13435 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13436 contains exactly one mail.
13442 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13443 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13446 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13447 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13449 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13450 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13451 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13454 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13455 from locking problems).
13459 Two example maildir mail sources:
13462 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13463 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13467 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13472 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13473 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13474 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13475 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13476 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13478 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13479 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13485 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13486 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13489 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13490 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13493 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13497 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13501 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13502 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13503 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13504 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13506 @item :authentication
13507 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13508 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13509 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13510 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13513 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13514 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13515 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13521 The valid format specifier characters are:
13525 The name of the server.
13528 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13531 The port number of the server.
13534 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13535 corresponding keywords.
13538 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13539 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13542 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13543 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13544 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13545 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13546 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13547 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13550 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13551 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13552 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13553 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13556 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13557 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13561 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13564 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13566 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13570 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13571 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13572 @uref{mail.yahoo.com}.
13574 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13575 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13577 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13583 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13584 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13587 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13591 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13595 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13596 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13600 An example webmail source:
13603 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13605 :password "secret")
13610 @item Common Keywords
13611 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13617 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13618 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13623 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13628 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13629 useful when you use local mail and news.
13634 @subsubsection Function Interface
13636 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13637 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13638 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13639 consider the following mail-source setting:
13642 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13643 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13646 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13647 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13648 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13649 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13650 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13652 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13655 @node Mail Source Customization
13656 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13658 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13659 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13663 @item mail-source-crash-box
13664 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13665 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13666 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13668 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13669 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13670 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13671 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13672 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13673 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13674 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13675 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13677 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13678 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13679 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13680 files. This variable only applies when
13681 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13683 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13684 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13685 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13687 @item mail-source-directory
13688 @vindex mail-source-directory
13689 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13690 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13691 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13694 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13695 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13696 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13697 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13698 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13699 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13701 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13702 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13703 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13705 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13706 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13707 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13708 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13713 @node Fetching Mail
13714 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13716 @vindex mail-sources
13717 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13718 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13719 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13720 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13722 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13723 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13726 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13727 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13732 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13733 :password "secret")))
13736 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13740 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13741 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13744 :password "secret")))
13748 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13749 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13750 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13751 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13752 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13753 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13757 @node Mail Back End Variables
13758 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13760 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13764 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13765 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13766 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13767 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13769 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13770 @item nnmail-split-hook
13771 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13772 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13773 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13774 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13775 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13776 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13777 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13778 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13779 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13782 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13783 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13784 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13785 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13786 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13787 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13788 starting to handle the new mail) and
13789 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13790 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13791 default file modes the new mail files get:
13794 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13795 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13797 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13798 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13801 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13802 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13803 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13804 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13805 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13806 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13807 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13809 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13810 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13811 @findex delete-file
13812 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13814 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13815 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13816 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13817 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13818 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13820 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13821 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13822 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13823 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13824 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13826 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13827 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13828 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13833 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13834 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13835 @cindex mail splitting
13836 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13838 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13839 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13840 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13841 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13842 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13843 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13845 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13848 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
13849 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
13850 ;; @r{from real errors.}
13851 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13853 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
13854 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
13855 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
13856 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13857 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13858 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
13859 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13860 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13861 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
13862 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
13863 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
13864 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
13865 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13866 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13867 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
13868 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13869 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
13873 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13874 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13875 the five possible split syntaxes:
13880 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13881 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13885 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13886 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13887 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13888 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13889 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13890 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13891 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13892 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13895 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13896 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13897 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13898 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13901 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13902 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13905 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13906 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13909 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13910 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13911 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13912 function should return a @var{split}.
13915 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13916 body of the messages:
13919 (defun split-on-body ()
13921 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13922 (goto-char (point-min))
13923 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13927 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13928 when the @code{:} function is run.
13931 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13932 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13933 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13934 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13937 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13941 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13942 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13943 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13944 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13945 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13947 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13948 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
13949 they are expanded as specified by the variable
13950 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
13951 where the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr}
13952 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
13953 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
13957 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
13959 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
13960 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
13962 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
13965 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13966 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13967 when all this splitting is performed.
13969 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13970 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13971 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13974 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13977 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13978 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13980 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13981 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13982 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13983 groupings 1 through 9.
13985 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13986 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13987 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13988 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13989 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13990 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13991 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13992 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13993 it once per thread.
13995 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
13996 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
13997 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
13998 using the colon feature, like so:
14000 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14001 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14003 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14004 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14008 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14009 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14010 in the file specified by the variable
14011 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14012 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14013 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14014 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14015 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14016 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14017 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14018 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14019 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14020 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14021 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14022 300 kBytes in size.)
14023 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14024 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14025 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14026 messages goes into the new group.
14028 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14029 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14030 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14031 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14032 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14033 ``outgoing'' group.
14036 @node Group Mail Splitting
14037 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14038 @cindex mail splitting
14039 @cindex group mail splitting
14041 @findex gnus-group-split
14042 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14043 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14044 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
14045 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14046 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14047 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14048 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
14049 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14051 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14052 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
14053 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14054 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
14056 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14057 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14058 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14059 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
14060 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14061 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14062 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14064 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14065 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14066 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14067 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14068 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
14069 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14070 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14072 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14073 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14074 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14075 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14076 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14077 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14078 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14079 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14080 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14081 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14082 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14083 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14084 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14086 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14091 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14092 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14094 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14095 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14096 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14097 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14099 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14102 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14103 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14104 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14107 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14108 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14109 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14113 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14114 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14115 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14119 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14122 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14123 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14124 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14125 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14126 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14127 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
14128 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14129 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14130 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14132 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14133 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14134 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14135 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14136 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14137 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14138 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14139 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14140 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14142 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14143 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14144 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14145 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14146 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14147 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14150 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14153 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14154 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14155 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14156 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14157 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14160 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14161 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14162 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14163 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14165 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14166 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14167 @cindex incorporating old mail
14168 @cindex import old mail
14170 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14171 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14172 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14175 Doing so can be quite easy.
14177 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14178 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14179 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14180 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14181 your @code{nnml} groups.
14187 Go to the group buffer.
14190 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14191 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14194 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14197 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14198 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14201 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14202 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14205 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14206 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14207 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14208 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14209 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14211 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14212 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14213 using the new mail back end.
14216 @node Expiring Mail
14217 @subsection Expiring Mail
14218 @cindex article expiry
14220 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14221 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14222 different approach to mail reading.
14224 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14225 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14226 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14227 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14228 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14229 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14232 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14233 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14234 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14235 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14236 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14237 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14238 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14239 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14240 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14242 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14243 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14244 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14245 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14246 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14247 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14248 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14251 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14252 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14253 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14254 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14255 into its own group.)
14257 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14258 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14259 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14260 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14261 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14262 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14263 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14264 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14267 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14268 Groups that match the regular expression
14269 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14270 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14271 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14273 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14274 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14275 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14276 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14277 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14279 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14281 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14282 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14283 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14286 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14287 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14288 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14289 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14290 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14292 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14293 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14296 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14297 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14300 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14301 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14303 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14304 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14305 don't really mix very well.
14307 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14308 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14309 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14310 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14313 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14314 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14315 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14316 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14319 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14321 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14323 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14325 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14327 ((string= group "important")
14333 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14334 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14336 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14337 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14338 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14341 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14342 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14344 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14345 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14346 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14347 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14348 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14349 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14350 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14351 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14352 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14353 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14354 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14355 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14356 name or @code{delete}.
14358 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14360 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14363 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14364 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14365 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14366 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14367 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14370 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14371 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14372 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14373 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14374 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14377 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14378 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14379 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14380 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14381 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14382 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14384 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14385 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14386 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14387 easier for procmail users.
14389 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14390 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14391 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14392 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14393 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14394 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14395 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14396 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14397 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14398 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14399 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14400 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14401 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14404 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14406 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14407 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14408 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14409 auto-expire turned on.
14413 @subsection Washing Mail
14414 @cindex mail washing
14415 @cindex list server brain damage
14416 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14418 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14419 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14420 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14421 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14422 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14423 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14425 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14426 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14427 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14430 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14431 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14432 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14433 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14436 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14437 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14438 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14439 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14440 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14443 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14444 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14445 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14446 Emacs running on MS machines.
14450 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14451 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14452 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14453 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14456 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14457 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14458 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14459 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14461 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14462 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14463 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14464 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14465 into a feature by documenting it.)
14467 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14468 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14469 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14470 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14471 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14472 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14473 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14476 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14477 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14480 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14481 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14484 This can also be done non-destructively with
14485 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14487 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14488 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14489 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14491 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14492 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14494 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14495 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14496 @code{References} headers.
14500 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14501 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14502 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14506 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14507 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14508 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14515 @subsection Duplicates
14517 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14518 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14519 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14520 @cindex duplicate mails
14521 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14522 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14523 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14524 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14525 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14526 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14527 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14528 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14529 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14530 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14531 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14532 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14533 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14535 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14536 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14537 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14538 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14540 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14543 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14544 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14548 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14549 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14550 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14551 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14552 (any mail "mail.misc")
14553 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14559 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14560 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14561 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14565 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14566 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14567 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14568 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14569 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14572 @node Not Reading Mail
14573 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14575 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14576 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14577 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14579 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14580 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14581 mail, which should help.
14583 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14584 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14585 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14586 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14587 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14588 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14589 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14590 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14591 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14592 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14593 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14595 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14596 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14600 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14601 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14603 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14604 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14605 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14607 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14608 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14609 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14613 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14614 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14615 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14616 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14617 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14618 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14619 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14623 @node Unix Mail Box
14624 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14626 @cindex unix mail box
14628 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14629 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14630 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14631 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14632 which group it belongs in.
14634 Virtual server settings:
14637 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14638 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14639 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14642 @item nnmbox-active-file
14643 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14644 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14645 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14647 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14648 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14649 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14650 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14655 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14659 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14660 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14661 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14662 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14663 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14665 Virtual server settings:
14668 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14669 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14670 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14672 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14673 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14674 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14675 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14677 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14678 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14679 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14685 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14687 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14689 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14690 format. It should be used with some caution.
14692 @vindex nnml-directory
14693 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14694 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14695 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14696 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14698 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14701 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14702 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14703 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14704 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14705 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14706 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14707 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14708 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14710 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14711 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14712 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14713 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14715 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14717 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14718 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14719 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14720 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14721 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14722 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14723 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14724 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14727 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14728 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14729 them next time it starts.
14731 Virtual server settings:
14734 @item nnml-directory
14735 @vindex nnml-directory
14736 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14737 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14740 @item nnml-active-file
14741 @vindex nnml-active-file
14742 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14743 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14745 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14746 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14747 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14748 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14750 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14751 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14752 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14755 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14756 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14757 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14758 default is @code{nil}.
14760 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14761 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14762 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14764 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14765 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14766 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14768 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14769 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14770 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14771 default is @code{nil}.
14773 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14774 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14775 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14777 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14778 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14779 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14784 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14785 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of whack,
14786 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14787 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14788 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14789 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14790 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14795 @subsubsection MH Spool
14797 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14799 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14800 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14801 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14802 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14804 Virtual server settings:
14807 @item nnmh-directory
14808 @vindex nnmh-directory
14809 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14810 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14813 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14814 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14815 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14819 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14820 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14821 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14822 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14823 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14824 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14825 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14830 @subsubsection Maildir
14834 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14835 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14836 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14837 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14838 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14841 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14842 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
14843 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14844 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14845 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14846 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14849 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14850 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14851 data in the filesystem.
14853 nnmaildir stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each maildir. So you
14854 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14857 Virtual server settings:
14861 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14862 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14863 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14864 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14865 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14866 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14867 starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14868 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14869 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14872 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14873 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14874 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14875 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14876 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14877 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14878 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14879 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14880 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14881 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14883 @item target-prefix
14884 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14885 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14886 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14889 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14890 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14891 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14892 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14893 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14894 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14895 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14896 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14897 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14899 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14900 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14901 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14902 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14903 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14905 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14906 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14907 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14908 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14909 @code{force} argument.
14911 @item directory-files
14912 This should be a function with the same interface as
14913 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14914 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14915 parameter is optional; the default is
14916 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14917 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14918 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14919 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14920 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14921 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14924 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14925 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14926 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14927 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14928 value is @code{nil}.
14930 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14931 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14932 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14933 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14934 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14937 @subsubsection Group parameters
14939 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14940 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14941 behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after one week,
14942 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14943 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14944 duplicate the behavior you already have with another back end.
14946 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14947 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14948 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14949 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14950 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14951 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14952 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14953 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14954 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14958 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14959 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14960 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14961 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14962 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
14963 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14964 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14965 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14966 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14967 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14968 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14969 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14972 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
14974 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
14976 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
14977 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
14978 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14979 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14980 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
14981 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
14982 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
14983 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14984 article. So that form can refer to
14985 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14986 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
14987 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
14988 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
14991 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14992 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14993 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14994 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14995 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14996 directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14997 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14998 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14999 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
15000 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
15001 extra copies of the articles.
15003 @item directory-files
15004 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15005 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15006 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15007 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15009 @item distrust-Lines:
15010 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
15011 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15012 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15015 A list of mark symbols, such as
15016 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
15017 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
15018 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
15019 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
15020 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15021 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15024 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15025 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
15026 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
15027 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15028 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15029 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15030 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15032 @item nov-cache-size
15033 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To speed
15034 things up, nnmaildir keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory for a limited number of
15035 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
15036 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
15037 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened---i.e.,
15038 when you first start Gnus, typically. The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized
15039 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
15040 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
15041 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
15042 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15045 @subsubsection Article identification
15046 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15047 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15048 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
15049 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15050 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15051 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15052 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15053 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15054 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15055 request the article in the summary buffer.
15057 @subsubsection NOV data
15058 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used to
15059 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15060 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15061 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15062 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically when the
15063 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
15064 nnmaildir to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a single article simply by
15065 deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV} file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
15066 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
15067 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15069 @subsubsection Article marks
15070 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15071 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15072 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
15073 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
15074 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
15075 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
15076 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
15077 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15079 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15080 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15081 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15082 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15083 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
15084 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
15085 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
15086 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
15087 changes, and might undo them.
15091 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15093 @cindex mbox folders
15094 @cindex mail folders
15096 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
15097 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
15098 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
15101 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15103 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15104 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15105 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15106 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15107 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15108 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15109 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
15110 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
15111 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
15112 @code{nnfolder} directory).
15114 Virtual server settings:
15117 @item nnfolder-directory
15118 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15119 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
15120 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15123 @item nnfolder-active-file
15124 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15125 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15127 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15128 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15129 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15130 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15132 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15133 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15134 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
15137 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15138 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15139 @cindex backup files
15140 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15141 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
15142 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
15143 your @file{.emacs} file:
15146 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15147 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15149 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15152 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15153 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15154 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15155 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15156 extract some information from it before removing it.
15158 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15159 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15160 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15161 default is @code{nil}.
15163 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15164 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15165 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15167 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15168 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15169 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15170 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15172 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15173 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15174 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15175 default is @code{nil}.
15177 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15178 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15179 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15181 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15182 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15183 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15184 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15189 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15190 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15191 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15192 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15193 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15194 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15197 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15198 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15200 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15201 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15202 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15203 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15204 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15206 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15207 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15208 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15209 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15210 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15211 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15212 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15213 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15216 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15217 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15218 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15219 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15224 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15225 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15226 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15227 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15228 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15229 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15230 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15231 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15232 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15233 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15234 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15235 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15236 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15241 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15242 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15243 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15244 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15245 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15246 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15247 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15248 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15249 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15250 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15251 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15252 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15253 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15254 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15256 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15257 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15262 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15263 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15264 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15265 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15266 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15267 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15268 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15269 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15270 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15271 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15272 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15273 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15274 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15275 provided by the active file and overviews.
15277 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15278 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15279 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15280 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15281 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15284 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15285 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15290 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15291 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15292 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15293 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15294 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15295 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15296 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15300 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15301 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15302 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15303 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15304 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15305 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15306 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15307 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15308 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15310 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15311 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15312 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15313 friendly mail back end all over.
15317 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15318 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15321 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15322 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15323 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15324 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15325 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15326 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15327 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15328 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15331 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15332 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15333 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15334 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15335 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15336 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15337 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15338 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15339 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15340 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15341 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15343 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15344 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15345 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15346 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15347 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15350 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15351 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15352 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15353 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15354 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15355 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15356 removed in the future.
15358 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15359 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15360 on your file system.
15362 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15363 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15368 @node Browsing the Web
15369 @section Browsing the Web
15371 @cindex browsing the web
15375 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15376 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15377 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15378 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15379 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15380 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15381 even know what a news group is.
15383 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15384 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15385 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15386 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15387 you mad in the end.
15389 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15392 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15393 interfaces to these sources.
15397 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15398 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15399 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15400 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15401 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15402 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15405 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15407 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15408 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15409 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15410 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15411 though, you should be ok.
15413 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15414 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15415 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15416 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15417 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15419 @node Archiving Mail
15420 @subsection Archiving Mail
15421 @cindex archiving mail
15422 @cindex backup of mail
15424 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15425 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15426 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15427 marks is fairly simple.
15429 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15430 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15433 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15434 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15435 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15436 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15437 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15438 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15439 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15440 before you restore the data.
15442 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15443 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15444 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15445 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15446 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15447 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15448 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15449 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15450 is unnecessary in that case.
15453 @subsection Web Searches
15458 @cindex Usenet searches
15459 @cindex searching the Usenet
15461 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15462 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15463 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15464 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15465 searches without having to use a browser.
15467 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15468 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15469 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15470 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15471 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15473 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15474 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15475 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15476 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15477 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15478 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15479 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15480 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15481 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15482 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15485 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15486 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15487 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15488 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15489 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15490 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15492 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15493 to use @code{nnweb}.
15495 Virtual server variables:
15500 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15501 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15502 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15505 @vindex nnweb-search
15506 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15508 @item nnweb-max-hits
15509 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15510 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15513 @item nnweb-type-definition
15514 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15515 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15516 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15521 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15525 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15528 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15531 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15535 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15542 @subsection Slashdot
15546 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15547 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15548 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15550 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15551 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15554 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15555 '((nnslashdot "")))
15558 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15559 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15560 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15561 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15562 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15565 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15566 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15568 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15569 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15570 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15571 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15572 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15573 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15574 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15576 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15579 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15580 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15581 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15582 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15583 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15584 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15585 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15587 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15588 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15589 The login name to use when posting.
15591 @item nnslashdot-password
15592 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15593 The password to use when posting.
15595 @item nnslashdot-directory
15596 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15597 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15598 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15600 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15601 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15602 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15603 news articles and comments. The default is@*
15604 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15606 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15607 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15608 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15610 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15612 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15613 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15614 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15616 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15618 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15619 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15620 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15622 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15623 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15624 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15625 updated. The default is 0.
15632 @subsection Ultimate
15634 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15636 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15637 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15638 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15639 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15641 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15642 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15643 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15644 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15645 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15646 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15647 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15649 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15652 @item nnultimate-directory
15653 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15654 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15655 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15660 @subsection Web Archive
15662 @cindex Web Archive
15664 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15665 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15666 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15667 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15670 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15671 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15672 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15673 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15674 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15675 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15676 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15677 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15679 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15682 @item nnwarchive-directory
15683 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15684 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15685 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15687 @item nnwarchive-login
15688 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15689 The account name on the web server.
15691 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15692 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15693 The password for your account on the web server.
15701 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15702 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15703 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15706 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15707 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15710 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15713 @item nnrss-directory
15714 @vindex nnrss-directory
15715 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15716 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15720 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15721 the summary buffer.
15724 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15725 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15727 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15729 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15730 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15733 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15736 (require 'browse-url)
15738 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15740 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15743 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15744 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15747 (browse-url (cdr url))
15748 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15749 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15751 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15752 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15753 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15754 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15757 @node Customizing w3
15758 @subsection Customizing w3
15764 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15765 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15766 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15768 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15769 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15770 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15773 (eval-after-load "w3"
15775 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15776 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15777 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15778 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15780 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15783 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15784 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15791 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
15793 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15794 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
15795 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15796 specify the network address of the server.
15798 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
15799 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
15800 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
15801 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
15802 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
15803 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15805 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
15806 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
15807 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
15808 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
15810 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15811 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15812 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
15813 usage explained in this section.
15815 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
15816 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
15817 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
15821 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15822 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
15823 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
15825 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15826 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15827 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
15829 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15830 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15831 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15832 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
15833 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15834 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15835 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15836 (nnimap-stream network))
15837 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
15839 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15840 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15841 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15844 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15845 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15846 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15847 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15849 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15854 @item nnimap-address
15855 @vindex nnimap-address
15857 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
15858 server name if not specified.
15860 @item nnimap-server-port
15861 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15862 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
15864 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15867 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15868 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15871 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15872 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15873 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15874 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15875 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
15876 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15877 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15879 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15880 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15881 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15884 Example server specification:
15887 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15888 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15889 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15892 @item nnimap-stream
15893 @vindex nnimap-stream
15894 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15895 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15896 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
15897 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
15898 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15900 Example server specification:
15903 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15904 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15907 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15911 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15912 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15914 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15916 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15917 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15920 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15921 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15923 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15924 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15926 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
15928 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15931 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15932 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15933 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15934 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15935 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15936 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15937 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15938 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15939 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15942 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15943 needed. It is available from
15944 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15946 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
15947 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
15948 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
15949 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
15950 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
15951 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
15952 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
15955 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15956 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15957 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15958 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
15959 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15960 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15961 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15964 @vindex imap-shell-program
15965 @vindex imap-shell-host
15966 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15967 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15969 @item nnimap-authenticator
15970 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15972 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15973 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15975 Example server specification:
15978 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15979 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15982 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15986 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15987 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
15989 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15992 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15993 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15995 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15997 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15999 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16002 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16004 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16005 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16006 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16007 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16008 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16009 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16012 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16013 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16014 running in circles yet?
16016 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16017 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16020 The possible options are:
16025 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16028 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16029 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16030 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16031 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16033 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16038 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16039 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16041 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16042 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16043 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16044 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16045 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16048 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16049 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16052 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16053 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16054 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16055 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16058 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16059 as ticked for other users.
16061 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16063 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16065 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16066 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16067 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16068 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16070 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16071 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16072 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16073 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16075 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16076 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16078 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16079 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16080 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16083 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16084 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16086 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16087 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16093 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16094 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16095 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16096 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16097 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16102 @node Splitting in IMAP
16103 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16104 @cindex splitting imap mail
16106 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16107 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16108 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16109 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16110 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16114 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16115 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16116 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16118 Here are the variables of interest:
16122 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16123 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16125 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16127 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16128 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16129 found will be used.
16131 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16133 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16134 @cindex splitting, inbox
16136 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16138 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16139 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16140 splitting is disabled!
16143 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16144 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16147 No nnmail equivalent.
16149 @item nnimap-split-rule
16150 @cindex splitting, rules
16151 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16153 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16156 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16157 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16158 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16159 Neither did I, we need examples.
16162 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16164 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16165 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16166 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16169 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16170 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16171 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16173 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16174 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16178 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16181 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16182 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16184 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16185 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16186 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16187 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16189 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16190 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16191 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16192 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16193 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16194 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16196 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16197 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16198 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16200 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16201 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16202 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16204 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16206 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16207 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16208 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16211 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16212 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16213 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16214 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16215 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16216 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16219 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16220 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16221 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16222 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16223 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16224 group/function elements.
16226 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16228 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16230 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16232 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16233 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16235 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16236 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16237 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16240 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16241 @cindex splitting, fancy
16242 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16243 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16245 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16246 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16247 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16249 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16250 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16251 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16252 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16257 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16258 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16261 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16263 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16264 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16265 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16267 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16268 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16269 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16270 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16274 @node Expiring in IMAP
16275 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16276 @cindex expiring imap mail
16278 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16279 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16280 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16281 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16282 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16283 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16286 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16287 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16288 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16289 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16290 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16291 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16292 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16293 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16297 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16298 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16300 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16301 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16303 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16305 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16306 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16307 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16308 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16312 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16313 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16314 @cindex editing imap acls
16315 @cindex Access Control Lists
16316 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16318 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16320 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16321 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16322 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16325 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16326 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16327 editing window with detailed instructions.
16329 Some possible uses:
16333 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16334 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16335 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16337 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16338 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16339 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16343 @node Expunging mailboxes
16344 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16348 @cindex manual expunging
16350 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16352 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16353 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16354 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16356 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16359 @node A note on namespaces
16360 @subsection A note on namespaces
16361 @cindex IMAP namespace
16364 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16365 by the following text in the RFC:
16368 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16370 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16371 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16372 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16373 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16375 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16376 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16377 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16378 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16379 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16380 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16383 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16384 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16385 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16387 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16388 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16389 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16390 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16391 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16392 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16393 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16394 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16397 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16398 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16399 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16401 @node Other Sources
16402 @section Other Sources
16404 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16405 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16409 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16410 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16411 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16412 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16413 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16417 @node Directory Groups
16418 @subsection Directory Groups
16420 @cindex directory groups
16422 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16423 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16426 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16427 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16428 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16429 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16431 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16432 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16433 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16434 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16435 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16437 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16439 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16440 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16441 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16442 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16445 @node Anything Groups
16446 @subsection Anything Groups
16449 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16450 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16451 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16454 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16455 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16456 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16457 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16458 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16459 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16460 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16461 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16462 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16463 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16466 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16467 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16468 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16469 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16471 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16472 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16473 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16474 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16476 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16477 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16478 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16479 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16480 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16481 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16482 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16483 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16488 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16489 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16490 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16491 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16493 @item nneething-exclude-files
16494 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16495 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16496 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16498 @item nneething-include-files
16499 @vindex nneething-include-files
16500 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16501 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16503 @item nneething-map-file
16504 @vindex nneething-map-file
16505 Name of the map files.
16509 @node Document Groups
16510 @subsection Document Groups
16512 @cindex documentation group
16515 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16516 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16523 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16528 The standard Unix mbox file.
16530 @cindex MMDF mail box
16532 The MMDF mail box format.
16535 Several news articles appended into a file.
16538 @cindex rnews batch files
16539 The rnews batch transport format.
16540 @cindex forwarded messages
16543 Forwarded articles.
16546 Netscape mail boxes.
16549 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16551 @item standard-digest
16552 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16555 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16557 @item lanl-gov-announce
16558 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16560 @item rfc822-forward
16561 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16564 The Outlook mail box.
16567 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16570 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16573 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16576 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16582 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16585 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16591 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16592 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16593 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16596 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16597 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16598 group. And that's it.
16600 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16601 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16602 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16603 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16604 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16605 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16606 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16607 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16608 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16609 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16611 Virtual server variables:
16614 @item nndoc-article-type
16615 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16616 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16617 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16618 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16619 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16620 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16622 @item nndoc-post-type
16623 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16624 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16625 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16630 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16634 @node Document Server Internals
16635 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16637 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16638 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16639 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16640 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16642 First, here's an example document type definition:
16646 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16647 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16650 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16651 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16652 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16653 types can be defined with very few settings:
16656 @item first-article
16657 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16658 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16661 @item article-begin
16662 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16663 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16665 @item head-begin-function
16666 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16669 @item nndoc-head-begin
16670 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16673 @item nndoc-head-end
16674 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16675 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16677 @item body-begin-function
16678 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16682 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16685 @item body-end-function
16686 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16690 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16693 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16694 regexp will be totally ignored.
16698 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16699 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16700 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16701 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16702 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16705 @item prepare-body-function
16706 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16707 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16708 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16710 @item article-transform-function
16711 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16712 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16713 body of the article.
16715 @item generate-head-function
16716 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16717 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16718 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16719 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16723 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16728 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16729 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16730 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16731 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16732 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16733 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16734 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16735 (subtype digest guess))
16738 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16739 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16740 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16741 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16742 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16744 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16745 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16746 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16747 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16748 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
16749 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
16750 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
16751 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16752 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
16753 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16754 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
16755 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16763 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16764 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16765 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16767 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16768 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16769 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16772 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16773 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16774 that interested in doing things properly.
16776 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16777 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16780 First some terminology:
16785 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16786 get news and/or mail from.
16789 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16790 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16793 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16797 @item message packets
16798 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16799 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16800 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16802 @item response packets
16803 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16804 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16805 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16815 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16816 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16817 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16818 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16821 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16824 You put the packet in your home directory.
16827 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16828 the native or secondary server.
16831 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16832 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16835 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16839 You transfer this packet to the server.
16842 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16845 You then repeat until you die.
16849 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16850 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16853 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16854 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16855 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16859 @node SOUP Commands
16860 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16862 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16866 @kindex G s b (Group)
16867 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16868 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16869 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16870 process/prefix convention.
16873 @kindex G s w (Group)
16874 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16875 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16878 @kindex G s s (Group)
16879 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16880 Send all replies from the replies packet
16881 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16884 @kindex G s p (Group)
16885 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16886 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16889 @kindex G s r (Group)
16890 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16891 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16894 @kindex O s (Summary)
16895 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16896 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16897 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16898 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16903 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16908 @item gnus-soup-directory
16909 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16910 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16911 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16913 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16914 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16915 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16916 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16918 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16919 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16920 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16921 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16923 @item gnus-soup-packer
16924 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16925 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16926 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16928 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16929 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16930 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16931 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16933 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16934 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16935 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16937 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16938 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16939 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16940 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16946 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16949 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16950 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16951 you can read them at leisure.
16953 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16957 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16958 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16959 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16960 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16962 @item nnsoup-directory
16963 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16964 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16965 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16967 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16968 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16969 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16970 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16972 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16973 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16974 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16975 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16976 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16978 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16979 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16980 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16981 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16983 @item nnsoup-active-file
16984 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16985 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16986 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16987 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16988 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16990 @item nnsoup-packer
16991 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16992 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16993 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16995 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16996 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16997 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16998 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17000 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17001 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17002 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17005 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17006 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17007 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17010 @item nnsoup-always-save
17011 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17012 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17018 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17020 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17021 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17022 more for that to happen.
17024 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17025 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17026 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17029 In specific, this is what it does:
17032 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17033 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17036 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17037 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17038 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17041 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17042 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17043 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17046 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17047 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17048 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17050 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17056 @item nngateway-address
17057 @vindex nngateway-address
17058 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17060 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17061 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17062 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17063 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17064 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17065 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17066 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17069 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17070 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17071 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17074 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17077 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17080 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17083 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17085 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17088 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17089 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17090 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17092 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17094 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17095 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17096 @code{nngateway-address}.
17104 (setq gnus-post-method
17106 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17107 (nngateway-header-transformation
17108 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17111 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17114 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17119 @node Combined Groups
17120 @section Combined Groups
17122 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17126 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17127 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17131 @node Virtual Groups
17132 @subsection Virtual Groups
17134 @cindex virtual groups
17135 @cindex merging groups
17137 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17140 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17141 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17142 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17144 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17145 regexp to match component groups.
17147 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17148 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17149 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17150 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17151 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17152 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17153 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17154 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17156 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17157 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17160 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17163 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17164 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17166 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17167 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17168 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17169 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17172 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17175 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17176 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17177 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17179 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17180 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17181 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17182 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17183 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17185 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17186 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17187 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17189 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17190 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17191 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17192 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17193 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17194 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17195 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17196 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17197 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17198 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17199 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17201 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17202 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17203 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17204 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17205 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17206 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17207 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17209 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17210 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17212 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17213 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17217 @node Kibozed Groups
17218 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17222 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17223 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17224 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17225 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17227 @kindex G k (Group)
17228 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17231 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17232 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17233 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17234 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17236 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17237 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17238 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17240 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17241 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17242 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17243 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17244 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17245 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17246 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17247 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17249 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17250 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17251 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17252 Stranger things have happened.
17254 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17255 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17257 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17258 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17259 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17260 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17261 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17262 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17263 component articles.
17265 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17266 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17269 @node Gnus Unplugged
17270 @section Gnus Unplugged
17275 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17277 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17278 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17279 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17280 read news. Believe it or not.
17282 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17283 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17284 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17285 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17286 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17288 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17289 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17290 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17291 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17292 reading news on a machine.
17294 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17295 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17297 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17300 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17301 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17302 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17303 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17304 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17305 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17306 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17307 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17308 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17309 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17310 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17311 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17312 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17317 @subsection Agent Basics
17319 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17321 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17322 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17323 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17324 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17326 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17327 connected to the net continuously.
17329 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17330 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17332 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17333 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17334 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17335 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17336 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17338 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17339 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17340 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17341 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17342 they're kinda like plugged always).
17344 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17345 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17346 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17349 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17350 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17351 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17352 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17353 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17355 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17360 @findex gnus-unplugged
17361 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17362 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17363 already fetched while in this mode.
17366 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17367 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17368 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17369 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17370 Source Specifiers}).
17373 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17374 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17375 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17376 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17377 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17380 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17381 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17382 then you read the news offline.
17385 And then you go to step 2.
17388 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17394 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17395 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17396 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17397 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17398 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17399 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17400 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17401 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17404 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17405 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17406 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17407 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17409 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17410 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17411 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17412 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17413 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17414 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17418 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17422 @node Agent Categories
17423 @subsection Agent Categories
17425 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17426 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17427 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17428 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17429 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17430 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17431 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17433 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17434 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17435 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17436 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17437 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17439 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17440 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17441 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17442 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17443 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17446 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17447 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17448 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17449 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17450 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17451 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17455 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17456 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17457 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17461 @node Category Syntax
17462 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17464 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17465 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17466 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17470 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17471 The name of the category.
17473 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17474 The list of groups that are in this category.
17476 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17477 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17478 are eligible for downloading; and
17480 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17481 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17482 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17483 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17485 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17486 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17487 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17488 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17489 only groups that should not be expired.
17491 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17492 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17493 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17495 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17496 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17498 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17499 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17501 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17502 an integer that overrides the value of
17503 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17505 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17506 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17509 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17512 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17513 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17514 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17517 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17518 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17519 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17520 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17522 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17523 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17524 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17526 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17527 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17528 operators sprinkled in between.
17530 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17532 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17533 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17539 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17540 short (for some value of ``short'').
17542 Here's a more complex predicate:
17551 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17552 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17555 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17556 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17557 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17559 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17560 you want to do, you can write your own.
17562 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17563 bound to the value determined by calling
17564 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17565 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17566 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17567 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17568 predicate to individual groups.
17572 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17573 lines; default 100.
17576 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17577 lines; default 200.
17580 True iff the article has a download score less than
17581 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17584 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17585 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17588 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17589 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17590 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17599 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17600 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17601 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17604 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17605 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17606 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17607 something along the lines of the following:
17610 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17611 "Say whether an article is old."
17612 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17613 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17616 with the predicate then defined as:
17619 (not my-article-old-p)
17622 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17623 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17627 (require 'gnus-agent)
17628 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17629 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17630 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17633 and simply specify your predicate as:
17639 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17640 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17641 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17642 just don't give a damn.
17644 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17645 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17646 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17647 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17648 parameters like so:
17651 (agent-predicate . short)
17654 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17655 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17656 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17658 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17661 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17664 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17665 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17666 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17669 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17670 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17671 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17672 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17673 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17674 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17676 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17677 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17678 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17679 if it's to be specific to that group.
17681 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17688 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17689 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17695 Category specification
17699 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17705 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17708 (agent-score ("from"
17709 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17714 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17720 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17721 keywords stated above.
17727 Category specification
17730 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17736 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17740 Group Parameter specification
17743 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17746 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17751 Use @code{normal} score files
17753 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17754 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17755 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17756 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17758 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17759 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17760 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17761 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17765 Category Specification
17772 Group Parameter specification
17775 (agent-score . file)
17780 @node Category Buffer
17781 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17783 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17784 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17785 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17787 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17791 @kindex q (Category)
17792 @findex gnus-category-exit
17793 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17796 @kindex e (Category)
17797 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17798 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17799 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17802 @kindex k (Category)
17803 @findex gnus-category-kill
17804 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17807 @kindex c (Category)
17808 @findex gnus-category-copy
17809 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17812 @kindex a (Category)
17813 @findex gnus-category-add
17814 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17817 @kindex p (Category)
17818 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17819 Edit the predicate of the current category
17820 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17823 @kindex g (Category)
17824 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17825 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17826 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17829 @kindex s (Category)
17830 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17831 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17832 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17835 @kindex l (Category)
17836 @findex gnus-category-list
17837 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17841 @node Category Variables
17842 @subsubsection Category Variables
17845 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17846 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17847 Hook run in category buffers.
17849 @item gnus-category-line-format
17850 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17851 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17852 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17856 The name of the category.
17859 The number of groups in the category.
17862 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17863 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17864 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17866 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17867 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17868 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17870 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17871 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17872 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17874 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17875 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17876 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17879 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17880 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17881 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17884 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17885 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17886 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17887 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17888 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17889 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17890 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17891 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17895 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17896 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17897 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17898 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17899 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17900 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17901 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17906 @node Agent Commands
17907 @subsection Agent Commands
17908 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17909 @kindex J j (Agent)
17911 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17912 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17913 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17917 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17918 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17919 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17925 @node Group Agent Commands
17926 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17930 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17931 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17932 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17933 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17936 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17937 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17938 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17941 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17942 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17943 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17944 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17947 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17948 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17949 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17950 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17953 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17954 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17955 Add the current group to an Agent category
17956 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17957 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17960 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17961 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17962 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17963 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17964 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17967 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17968 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17969 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17975 @node Summary Agent Commands
17976 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17980 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17981 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17982 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17985 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17986 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17987 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17988 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17992 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17993 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17994 Toggle whether to download the article
17995 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
17999 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18000 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18001 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18004 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18005 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18006 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18007 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18010 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18011 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18012 Download all processable articles in this group.
18013 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18016 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18017 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18018 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18019 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18024 @node Server Agent Commands
18025 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18029 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18030 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18031 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18032 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18035 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18036 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18037 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18038 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18043 @node Agent Visuals
18044 @subsection Agent Visuals
18046 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18047 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18048 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18049 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18050 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18051 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18052 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18053 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18054 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18055 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18057 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18058 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18059 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18060 way, "If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18061 less than satisfying unplugged session". For this reason, the Agent
18062 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18063 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18064 articles will be available when unplugged.
18066 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18067 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18068 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18069 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18070 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18071 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18072 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18073 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18075 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18076 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18077 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18078 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18079 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18080 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18081 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18082 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18083 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18085 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18086 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18087 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18088 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18089 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear.
18091 For occasional Agent users, the undownloaded faces may appear to be an
18092 absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since most of their
18093 articles have not been fetched into the Agent, most of the normal
18094 faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces. If this is your
18095 situation, you have two choices available. First, you can completely
18096 disable the undownload faces by customizing
18097 @code{gnus-summary-highlight} to delete the three cons-cells that
18098 refer to the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face} faces. Second, if
18099 you prefer to take a more fine-grained approach, you may set the
18100 @code{agent-disable-undownloaded-faces} group parameter to t. This
18101 parameter, like all other agent parameters, may be set on an Agent
18102 Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic
18103 Parameters}), or an individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18105 @node Agent as Cache
18106 @subsection Agent as Cache
18108 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18109 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18110 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18111 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18112 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18113 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18114 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18115 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18116 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18118 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18119 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18120 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18121 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18122 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18125 @subsection Agent Expiry
18127 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18128 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18129 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18130 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18131 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18132 @cindex agent expiry
18133 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18136 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18137 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18138 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18139 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18140 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18141 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18142 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18143 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18145 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18146 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18147 synchronized with the group.
18149 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18150 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18152 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18153 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18154 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18155 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18156 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18157 be kept indefinitely.
18159 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18160 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18161 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18162 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18164 @node Agent Regeneration
18165 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18167 @cindex agent regeneration
18168 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18169 @cindex regeneration
18171 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18172 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18173 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18174 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18175 internal inconsistencies.
18177 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18178 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18179 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18180 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18181 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18182 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18184 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18185 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18186 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18187 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18188 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18189 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18191 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18192 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18193 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18194 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18195 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18196 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18199 @node Agent and IMAP
18200 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18202 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18203 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18204 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18205 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18207 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18208 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18209 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18210 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18212 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18213 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18214 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18215 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18217 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18218 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18219 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18220 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18221 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18222 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18224 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18225 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18226 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18227 in the group buffer.
18229 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18230 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18235 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18238 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18242 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18243 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18244 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18245 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18246 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18247 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18248 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18249 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18252 @node Outgoing Messages
18253 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18255 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18256 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18257 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18259 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18260 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18261 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18262 messages in the draft group.
18266 @node Agent Variables
18267 @subsection Agent Variables
18270 @item gnus-agent-directory
18271 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18272 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18273 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18275 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18276 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18277 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18278 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18279 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18282 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18283 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18284 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18286 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18287 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18288 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18290 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18291 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18292 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18294 @item gnus-agent-cache
18295 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18296 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18297 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18298 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18300 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18301 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18302 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18303 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18304 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18305 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18306 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18309 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18310 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18311 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18312 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18313 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18314 read. The default is t.
18316 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18317 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18318 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18319 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
18320 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
18322 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18323 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18324 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18325 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18326 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18327 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18328 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18329 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18330 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18331 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18332 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18333 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18336 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18337 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18338 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18339 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18340 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18341 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18342 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18343 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18344 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18346 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18347 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18348 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18349 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18350 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18351 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18353 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18354 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18355 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18356 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18357 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18362 @node Example Setup
18363 @subsection Example Setup
18365 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18366 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18367 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18370 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18371 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18372 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18374 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18375 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18376 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18378 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18379 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18381 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18382 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18383 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18386 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18387 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18390 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18391 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18392 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18393 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18394 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18397 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18398 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18399 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18400 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18401 back all the killed groups.)
18403 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18404 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18405 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18408 @node Batching Agents
18409 @subsection Batching Agents
18410 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18412 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18413 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18414 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18416 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18417 following incantation:
18421 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18425 @node Agent Caveats
18426 @subsection Agent Caveats
18428 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18429 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18433 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18435 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18436 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18437 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18439 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18440 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18442 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18446 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18447 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18448 locally stored articles.
18455 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18456 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18457 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18460 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18461 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18462 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18463 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18464 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18466 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18467 before generating the summary buffer.
18469 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18470 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18471 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18473 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18474 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18475 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18476 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18479 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18480 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18481 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18482 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18483 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18484 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18485 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18486 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18487 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18488 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18489 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18490 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18491 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18492 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18493 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18494 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18495 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18499 @node Summary Score Commands
18500 @section Summary Score Commands
18501 @cindex score commands
18503 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18504 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18505 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18506 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18507 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18509 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18510 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18511 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18512 score file the current one.
18514 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18519 @kindex V s (Summary)
18520 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18521 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18524 @kindex V S (Summary)
18525 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18526 Display the score of the current article
18527 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18530 @kindex V t (Summary)
18531 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18532 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18533 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18534 can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
18535 When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
18536 bring you to this string in the score file.
18539 @kindex V w (Summary)
18540 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18541 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18544 @kindex V R (Summary)
18545 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18546 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18547 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18548 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18549 effect you're having.
18552 @kindex V c (Summary)
18553 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18554 Make a different score file the current
18555 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18558 @kindex V e (Summary)
18559 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18560 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18561 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18565 @kindex V f (Summary)
18566 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18567 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18568 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18571 @kindex V F (Summary)
18572 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18573 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18574 after editing score files.
18577 @kindex V C (Summary)
18578 @findex gnus-score-customize
18579 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18580 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18584 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18589 @kindex V m (Summary)
18590 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18591 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18592 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18595 @kindex V x (Summary)
18596 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18597 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18598 expunge all articles below this score
18599 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18602 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18603 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18606 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18607 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18611 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18612 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18614 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18615 keys are available:
18619 Score on the author name.
18622 Score on the subject line.
18625 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18628 Score on the @code{References} line.
18634 Score on the number of lines.
18637 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18640 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18641 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18644 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18645 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18646 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18655 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18661 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18662 what headers you are scoring on.
18674 Substring matching.
18677 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18706 Greater than number.
18711 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18712 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18713 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18718 Temporary score entry.
18721 Permanent score entry.
18724 Immediately scoring.
18728 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18729 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18730 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18734 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18735 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18736 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18737 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18739 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18740 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18741 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18742 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18743 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18745 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18746 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18747 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18748 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18749 current score file.
18751 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18752 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18753 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18756 @node Group Score Commands
18757 @section Group Score Commands
18758 @cindex group score commands
18760 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18765 @kindex W f (Group)
18766 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18767 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18768 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18769 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18773 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18775 @findex gnus-batch-score
18776 @cindex batch scoring
18778 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18782 @node Score Variables
18783 @section Score Variables
18784 @cindex score variables
18788 @item gnus-use-scoring
18789 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18790 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18791 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18793 @item gnus-kill-killed
18794 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18795 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18796 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18797 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18798 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18799 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18800 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18802 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18803 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18804 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18805 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18806 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18808 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18809 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18810 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18811 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18813 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18814 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18815 @cindex score cache
18816 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18817 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18818 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18819 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18820 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18821 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18822 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18825 @item gnus-save-score
18826 @vindex gnus-save-score
18827 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18828 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18829 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18831 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18832 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18833 across group visits.
18835 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18836 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18837 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18838 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18839 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18840 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18841 manually entered data.
18843 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18844 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18845 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18847 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18848 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18849 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18850 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18851 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18852 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18854 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18855 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18856 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18857 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18859 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18860 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18861 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18862 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18864 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18865 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18866 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18867 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18869 Predefined functions available are:
18872 @item gnus-score-find-single
18873 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18874 Only apply the group's own score file.
18876 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18877 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18878 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18879 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18880 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18881 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18882 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18883 then a regexp match is done.
18885 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18886 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18888 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18889 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18890 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18891 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18893 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18894 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18895 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18896 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18897 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18901 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18902 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18903 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18904 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18905 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18906 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18907 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18910 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18911 overall score file, you could use the value
18913 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18914 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18917 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18918 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18919 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18920 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18921 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18923 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18924 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18925 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18926 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18927 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18928 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18929 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18930 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18932 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18933 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18934 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18936 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18937 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18938 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
18939 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18940 threading---according to the current value of
18941 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
18942 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18943 simplified in this manner.
18948 @node Score File Format
18949 @section Score File Format
18950 @cindex score file format
18952 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18953 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18954 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18956 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18960 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18962 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18964 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18966 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18971 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18975 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18976 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18977 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18978 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18982 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
18983 Scoring}, for a different approach.
18985 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
18986 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18987 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18989 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18994 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18995 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18996 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18997 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18998 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18999 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19000 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19001 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19002 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19003 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19004 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19005 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19006 to articles that matches these score entries.
19008 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19009 score entry has one to four elements.
19013 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19014 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19018 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19019 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19020 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19021 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19022 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19023 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19026 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19027 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19028 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19029 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19030 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19033 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19034 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19035 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19036 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19039 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19040 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19041 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19042 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19043 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19044 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19045 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19046 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19047 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19048 instead, if you feel like.
19051 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19052 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19053 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19054 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19055 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
19056 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
19059 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19063 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19064 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19066 These predicates are true if
19069 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19072 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19073 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19080 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19081 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19082 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19083 it's not. I think.)
19085 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19086 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19087 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19088 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19091 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19092 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19093 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19094 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19095 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19096 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19097 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19101 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19102 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19103 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19104 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19105 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19106 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19107 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19108 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19111 @item Head, Body, All
19112 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19116 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19117 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19118 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19119 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19120 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19121 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19122 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19126 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19127 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19128 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19129 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19130 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19131 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19132 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19133 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19134 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19135 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19136 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19140 @cindex score file atoms
19142 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19143 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19146 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19147 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19149 @item mark-and-expunge
19150 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19151 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19154 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19155 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19156 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19157 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19158 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19161 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19162 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19165 @item exclude-files
19166 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19167 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19171 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19172 ignored when handling global score files.
19175 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19176 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19177 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19178 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19181 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19182 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19183 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19184 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19186 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19190 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19193 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19194 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19195 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19196 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19197 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19199 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19200 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19201 scoring rules exist.
19204 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19205 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19206 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19207 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19208 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19209 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19210 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19211 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19212 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19213 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19214 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19218 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19219 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19220 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19221 file for a number of groups.
19224 @cindex local variables
19225 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19226 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19227 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19228 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19229 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19234 @node Score File Editing
19235 @section Score File Editing
19237 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19238 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19239 with a mode for that.
19241 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19242 additional commands:
19247 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19248 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19249 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19250 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19253 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19254 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19255 Insert the current date in numerical format
19256 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19257 you were wondering.
19260 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19261 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19262 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19263 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19264 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19269 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19271 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19272 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19274 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19275 e} to begin editing score files.
19278 @node Adaptive Scoring
19279 @section Adaptive Scoring
19280 @cindex adaptive scoring
19282 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19283 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19284 stupidity, to be precise.
19286 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19287 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19288 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19289 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19290 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19291 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19292 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19293 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19294 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19296 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19297 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19298 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19299 might look something like this:
19302 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19303 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19304 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19305 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19306 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19307 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19308 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19309 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19310 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19311 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19312 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19313 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19316 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19317 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19318 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19319 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19320 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19321 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19324 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19325 will be applied to each article.
19327 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19328 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19329 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19330 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19332 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19333 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19334 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19335 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19337 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19338 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19339 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19340 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19342 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19343 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19344 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19345 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19346 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19347 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19349 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19350 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19351 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19353 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19354 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19355 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19357 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19358 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19359 let you use different rules in different groups.
19361 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19362 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19363 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19366 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19367 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19368 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19369 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19370 the length of the match is less than
19371 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19372 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19375 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19376 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19377 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19378 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19379 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19382 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19383 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19384 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19385 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19386 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19389 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19390 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19391 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19392 score with 30 points.
19394 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19395 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19396 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19397 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19398 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19400 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19401 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19402 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19403 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19404 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19406 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19407 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19408 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19409 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19411 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19412 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19413 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19414 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19416 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19417 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19418 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19419 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19420 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19422 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19423 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19424 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19426 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19427 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19428 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19429 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19432 @node Home Score File
19433 @section Home Score File
19435 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19436 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19437 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19438 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19440 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19441 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19442 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19444 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19445 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19450 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19454 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19455 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19459 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19463 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19464 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19467 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19468 be used as the home score file.
19471 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19474 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19479 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19482 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19483 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19486 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19487 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19489 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19491 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19492 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19495 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19496 Other functions include
19499 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19500 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19501 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19502 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19506 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19507 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19508 their own home score files:
19511 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19512 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19513 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19514 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19515 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19518 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19519 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19520 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19521 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19522 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19524 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19525 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19526 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19527 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19528 precedence over this variable.
19531 @node Followups To Yourself
19532 @section Followups To Yourself
19534 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19535 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19536 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19537 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19538 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19539 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19543 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19544 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19545 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19548 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19549 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19550 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19554 @vindex message-sent-hook
19555 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19556 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19558 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19562 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19563 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19567 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19568 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19571 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19572 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19577 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19581 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19582 is system-dependent.
19585 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19586 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19587 @cindex scoring on other headers
19589 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19590 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19591 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19592 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19593 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19595 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19596 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19597 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19598 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19599 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19601 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19604 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19605 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19608 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19609 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19610 time if you have much mail.
19612 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19613 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19619 @section Scoring Tips
19620 @cindex scoring tips
19626 @cindex scoring crossposts
19627 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19628 the @code{Xref} header.
19630 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19633 @item Multiple crossposts
19634 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19635 more than, say, 3 groups:
19638 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19642 @item Matching on the body
19643 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19644 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19645 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19646 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19647 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19648 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19649 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19652 @item Marking as read
19653 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19654 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19655 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19659 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19661 @item Negated character classes
19662 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19663 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19664 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19668 @node Reverse Scoring
19669 @section Reverse Scoring
19670 @cindex reverse scoring
19672 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19673 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19674 like this in your score file:
19678 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19683 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19684 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19687 @node Global Score Files
19688 @section Global Score Files
19689 @cindex global score files
19691 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19692 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19693 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19695 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19696 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19697 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19699 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19700 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19701 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19702 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19703 files are applicable to which group.
19705 To use the score file
19706 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19707 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19711 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19712 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19713 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19716 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19718 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19719 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19720 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19721 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19723 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19724 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19726 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19727 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19728 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19729 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19730 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19731 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19733 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19739 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19741 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19743 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19745 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19746 lowered out of existence.
19748 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19749 articles completely.
19752 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19753 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19754 old articles for a long time.
19757 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19758 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19759 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19760 holding our breath yet?
19764 @section Kill Files
19767 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19768 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19769 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19771 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19772 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19773 files into score files.
19775 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19776 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19777 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19778 that isn't a very good idea.
19780 Normal kill files look like this:
19783 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19784 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19788 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19789 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19791 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19792 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19795 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
19800 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19801 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19802 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19805 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19806 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19807 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19810 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19815 @kindex M-k (Group)
19816 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19817 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19820 @kindex M-K (Group)
19821 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19822 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19825 Kill file variables:
19828 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19829 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19830 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19831 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19832 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19833 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19834 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19836 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19837 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19838 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19839 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19842 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19843 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19844 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19845 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19846 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19847 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19848 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19849 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19850 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19852 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19853 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19854 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19859 @node Converting Kill Files
19860 @section Converting Kill Files
19862 @cindex converting kill files
19864 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19865 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19866 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19869 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19870 You can fetch it from
19871 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19873 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19874 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19875 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19883 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19884 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19886 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/, GroupLens} is a
19887 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19888 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19889 news articles generated every day.
19891 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19892 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19893 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19894 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19895 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19896 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19897 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19898 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19902 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19903 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19904 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19905 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19909 @node Using GroupLens
19910 @subsection Using GroupLens
19912 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local
19913 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html, Better Bit
19914 Bureau (BBB)} is the only better bit in town at the moment.
19916 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19920 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19921 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19922 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19923 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19925 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19926 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19927 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19928 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19930 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19931 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19932 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19936 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19937 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19938 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19939 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19940 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19941 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19944 @node Rating Articles
19945 @subsection Rating Articles
19947 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19948 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19949 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19950 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19953 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19958 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19959 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19960 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19963 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19964 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19965 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19966 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19967 threads in rec.humor.
19971 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19972 the score of the article you're reading.
19977 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19978 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19979 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19982 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19983 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19984 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19988 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19989 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19992 @node Displaying Predictions
19993 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19995 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19996 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19997 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19998 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19999 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
20001 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
20002 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
20003 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
20004 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
20005 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
20006 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
20007 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
20008 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
20009 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
20010 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
20011 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
20012 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
20013 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
20015 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
20016 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
20017 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
20018 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
20020 The following are valid values for that variable.
20023 @item prediction-spot
20024 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
20027 @item confidence-interval
20028 A numeric confidence interval.
20030 @item prediction-bar
20031 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
20033 @item confidence-bar
20034 Numerical confidence.
20036 @item confidence-spot
20037 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
20039 @item prediction-num
20040 Plain-old numeric value.
20042 @item confidence-plus-minus
20043 Prediction +/- confidence.
20048 @node GroupLens Variables
20049 @subsection GroupLens Variables
20053 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
20054 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
20055 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
20056 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
20059 @item grouplens-bbb-host
20060 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
20063 @item grouplens-bbb-port
20064 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
20066 @item grouplens-score-offset
20067 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
20068 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
20071 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
20072 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
20073 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
20078 @node Advanced Scoring
20079 @section Advanced Scoring
20081 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20082 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20083 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20084 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20085 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20087 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20091 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20092 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20093 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20097 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20098 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20100 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20101 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20102 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20103 non-@code{nil} value.
20105 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20106 operator, and various match operators.
20113 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20114 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20115 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20120 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20121 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20122 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20127 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20128 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20132 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20133 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20134 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20135 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20136 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20137 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20138 the ancestry you want to go.
20140 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20141 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20142 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20143 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20144 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20147 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20148 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20150 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20151 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20154 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20155 when he's talking about Gnus:
20160 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20161 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20168 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20172 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20179 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20180 really don't want to read what he's written:
20184 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20185 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20189 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20190 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20191 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20198 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20199 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20200 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20201 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20205 The possibilities are endless.
20208 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20209 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20211 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20212 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20213 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20214 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20215 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20216 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20217 @samp{subject}) first.
20219 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20220 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20231 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20232 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20238 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20245 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20246 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20251 @section Score Decays
20252 @cindex score decays
20255 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20256 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20257 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20258 use them in any sensible way.
20260 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20261 @findex gnus-decay-score
20262 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20263 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20264 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20265 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20266 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20267 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20268 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20269 definition of that function:
20272 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20274 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20275 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20278 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
20280 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20282 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20285 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20286 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20287 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20288 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20292 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20295 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20298 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20302 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20303 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20304 the new score, which should be an integer.
20306 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20307 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20312 @include message.texi
20313 @chapter Emacs MIME
20314 @include emacs-mime.texi
20316 @include sieve.texi
20326 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20327 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20328 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20329 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20330 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20331 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20332 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20333 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20334 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20335 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20336 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20337 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20338 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20339 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20340 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20341 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20342 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20343 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20344 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20348 @node Process/Prefix
20349 @section Process/Prefix
20350 @cindex process/prefix convention
20352 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20353 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20355 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20356 command to be performed on.
20360 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20361 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20362 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20363 with the current one.
20365 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20366 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20367 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20369 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20370 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20373 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20374 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20376 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20379 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20380 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20381 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20382 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20384 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20385 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20386 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20387 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20388 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20389 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20390 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20391 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20393 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20394 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20395 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20396 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20397 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20401 @section Interactive
20402 @cindex interaction
20406 @item gnus-novice-user
20407 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20408 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20409 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20410 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20411 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20414 @item gnus-expert-user
20415 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20416 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20417 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20418 matter how strange.
20420 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20421 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20422 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20423 is @code{t} by default.
20425 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20426 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20427 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20432 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20433 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20434 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20436 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20437 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20438 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20439 rule of 900 to the current article.
20441 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20442 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20443 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20444 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20445 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20446 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20447 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20449 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20450 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20451 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20452 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20453 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20454 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20455 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20456 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20457 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20459 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20460 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20461 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20463 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20467 @node Formatting Variables
20468 @section Formatting Variables
20469 @cindex formatting variables
20471 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20472 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20473 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20474 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20475 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20478 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20479 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20480 lots of percentages everywhere.
20483 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20484 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20485 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20486 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20487 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20488 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20489 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20490 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20493 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20494 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20495 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20496 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20497 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20498 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20499 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20500 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20502 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20503 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20505 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20506 @findex gnus-update-format
20507 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20508 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20509 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20510 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20514 @node Formatting Basics
20515 @subsection Formatting Basics
20517 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20518 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20519 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20521 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20522 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20523 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20524 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20525 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20528 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20529 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20530 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20531 less than 4 characters wide.
20533 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20534 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20537 @node Mode Line Formatting
20538 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20540 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20541 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20542 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20543 with the following two differences:
20548 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20551 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20552 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20553 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20554 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20555 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20556 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20557 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20562 @node Advanced Formatting
20563 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20565 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20566 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20567 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20568 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20570 These are the valid modifiers:
20575 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20579 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20584 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20587 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20592 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20595 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20598 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20601 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20607 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20612 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20613 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20614 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20615 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20616 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20617 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20618 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20620 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20621 last operation, padding.
20623 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20624 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20625 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20626 @xref{Compilation}.
20629 @node User-Defined Specs
20630 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20632 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20633 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20634 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20635 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20636 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20637 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20638 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20639 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20640 should protect against that.
20642 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20643 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20645 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20646 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20647 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20648 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20652 @node Formatting Fonts
20653 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20655 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20656 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20657 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20658 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20661 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20662 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20663 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20664 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20665 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20666 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20668 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20669 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20670 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20671 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20672 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20673 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20674 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20675 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20676 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20677 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20678 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20681 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20684 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20685 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20686 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20688 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20689 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20690 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20691 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20692 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20693 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20694 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20696 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20697 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20698 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20701 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20702 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20704 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20705 mode-line variables.
20707 @node Positioning Point
20708 @subsection Positioning Point
20710 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20711 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20712 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20714 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20716 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20717 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20718 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20720 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20721 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20722 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20727 @subsection Tabulation
20729 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20730 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20731 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20732 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20734 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20735 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20737 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20738 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20739 This is the soft tabulator.
20741 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20742 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20743 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20746 @node Wide Characters
20747 @subsection Wide Characters
20749 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20750 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20751 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20753 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20754 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20755 these countries, that's not true.
20757 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20758 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20759 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20760 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20764 @node Window Layout
20765 @section Window Layout
20766 @cindex window layout
20768 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20770 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20771 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20772 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20773 @code{t} by default.
20775 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20776 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20778 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20779 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20780 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20783 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20784 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20785 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20789 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20790 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20791 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20792 possible names is listed below.
20794 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20795 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20798 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20802 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20803 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20804 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20805 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20806 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20807 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20808 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20809 size spec per split.
20811 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20812 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20813 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20814 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20815 present) gets focus.
20817 Here's a more complicated example:
20820 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20821 (summary 0.25 point)
20822 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20826 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20827 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20828 occupy, not a percentage.
20830 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20831 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20832 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20833 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20834 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20837 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20840 (article (horizontal 1.0
20845 (summary 0.25 point)
20850 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20851 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20853 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20854 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20855 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20856 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20857 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20859 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20860 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20861 lines from the splits.
20863 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20868 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20869 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20870 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20871 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20872 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20873 size = number | frame-params
20874 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20878 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20879 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20880 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20881 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20883 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20884 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20885 @cindex window height
20886 @cindex window width
20887 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20888 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20889 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20890 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20891 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20892 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20894 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20895 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20896 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20897 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20899 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20900 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20901 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20902 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20903 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20904 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20905 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20906 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20907 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20908 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20909 configuration list.
20912 (gnus-configure-frame
20916 (article 0.3 point))
20924 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20925 @code{frame} split:
20928 (gnus-configure-frame
20931 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20933 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20934 (user-position . t)
20935 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20940 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20941 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20942 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20943 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20944 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20945 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20946 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20947 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20949 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20950 be found in its default value.
20952 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20953 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20954 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20958 (message (horizontal 1.0
20959 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20961 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20966 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20967 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20968 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20973 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20974 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20975 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20976 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20977 (name . "Message"))
20978 (message 1.0 point))))
20981 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20982 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20983 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20984 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20985 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20988 (gnus-add-configuration
20989 '(article (vertical 1.0
20991 (summary .25 point)
20995 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20996 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20997 Gnus has been loaded.
20999 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21000 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21001 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21002 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21003 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21005 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21006 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21007 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21010 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21014 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21015 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21030 (gnus-add-configuration
21033 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21035 (summary 0.16 point)
21038 (gnus-add-configuration
21041 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21042 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21048 @node Faces and Fonts
21049 @section Faces and Fonts
21054 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21055 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21056 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21061 @section Compilation
21062 @cindex compilation
21063 @cindex byte-compilation
21065 @findex gnus-compile
21067 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21068 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21069 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21070 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21071 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21072 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21075 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21076 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21077 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21078 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21079 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
21080 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
21081 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
21085 @section Mode Lines
21088 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21089 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21090 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21091 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21092 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21093 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21094 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21097 @cindex display-time
21099 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21100 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21101 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21102 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21103 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21104 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21105 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21106 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21109 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21111 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21112 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21114 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21115 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21116 (length display-time-string)))))
21119 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21120 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21121 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21122 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21123 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21126 @node Highlighting and Menus
21127 @section Highlighting and Menus
21129 @cindex highlighting
21132 @vindex gnus-visual
21133 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21134 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21135 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21138 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21139 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21142 @item group-highlight
21143 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21144 @item summary-highlight
21145 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21146 @item article-highlight
21147 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21149 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21151 Create menus in the group buffer.
21153 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21155 Create menus in the article buffer.
21157 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21159 Create menus in the server buffer.
21161 Create menus in the score buffers.
21163 Create menus in all buffers.
21166 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21167 buffers, you could say something like:
21170 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21173 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21176 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21179 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21180 in all Gnus buffers.
21182 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21185 @item gnus-mouse-face
21186 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21187 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21188 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21192 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21196 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21197 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21198 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21200 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21201 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21202 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21204 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21205 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21206 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21208 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21209 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21210 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21212 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21213 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21214 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21216 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21217 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21218 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21229 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21230 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21231 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21232 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21233 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21237 @vindex gnus-carpal
21238 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21239 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21240 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21245 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21246 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21247 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21249 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21250 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21251 Face used on buttons.
21253 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21254 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21255 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21257 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21258 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21259 Buttons in the group buffer.
21261 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21262 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21263 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21265 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21266 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21267 Buttons in the server buffer.
21269 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21270 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21271 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21274 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21275 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21276 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21284 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21285 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21286 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21287 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21288 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21290 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21291 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21292 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21294 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21295 been idle for thirty minutes:
21298 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21301 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21305 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21308 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21309 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21310 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21312 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21313 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21314 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21315 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21317 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21318 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21319 @var{idle} minutes.
21321 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21322 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21325 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21326 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21327 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21329 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21330 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21331 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21332 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21334 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21335 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21337 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21339 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21342 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21343 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21344 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21345 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21346 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21347 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21348 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21349 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21350 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21351 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21352 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21354 @findex gnus-demon-init
21355 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21356 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21357 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21358 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21359 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21361 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21362 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21363 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21372 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21373 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21375 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21376 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21377 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21378 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21381 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21382 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21383 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21384 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21386 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21387 this will make spam disappear.
21389 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21392 @item gnus-use-nocem
21393 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21394 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21397 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21398 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21399 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21402 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21403 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21406 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21407 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21408 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21409 people you want to listen to. The default is
21411 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21412 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21414 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21416 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21417 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21419 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21420 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21421 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21422 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21423 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21424 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21425 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21426 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21427 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21428 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21430 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21431 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21434 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21437 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21438 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21441 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21444 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21447 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21448 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21450 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21451 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21452 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21453 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21455 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21456 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21459 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21461 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21469 This might be dangerous, though.
21471 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21472 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21473 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21474 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21476 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21477 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21478 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21479 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21480 might then see old spam.
21482 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21483 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21484 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21485 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21486 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21489 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21490 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21491 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21492 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21496 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21497 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21498 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21499 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21506 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21507 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21508 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21510 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21511 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21512 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21513 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21514 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21515 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21516 @code{undo} function.
21518 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21519 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21520 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21521 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21522 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21523 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21524 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21525 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21526 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21527 never be totally undoable.
21529 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21530 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21532 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21533 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21534 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21535 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21539 @node Predicate Specifiers
21540 @section Predicate Specifiers
21541 @cindex predicate specifiers
21543 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21544 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21545 to type all that much.
21547 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21552 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21553 gnus-article-unread-p)
21556 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21557 functions all take one parameter.
21559 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21560 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21561 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21562 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21567 @section Moderation
21570 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21571 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21572 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21575 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21579 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21582 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21584 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21589 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21590 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21591 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21594 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21595 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21598 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21599 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21603 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21606 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21607 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21611 @node Image Enhancements
21612 @section Image Enhancements
21614 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21615 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21616 taken advantage of that.
21619 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21620 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21621 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21622 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21623 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21631 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21632 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21633 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21637 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21638 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21639 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21647 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21648 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21649 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21650 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21652 The variable that controls this is the
21653 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21654 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21655 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21656 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21657 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21659 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21660 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21661 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21662 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21665 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21666 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21667 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21668 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21669 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21670 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21671 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21672 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21674 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21677 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21678 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21680 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21681 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21682 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21683 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21684 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21685 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21686 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21687 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21688 header data as a string.
21690 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21691 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21692 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21693 randomly generated data.
21695 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21696 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21697 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21698 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21699 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21701 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21702 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21705 (setq message-required-news-headers
21706 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21707 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21710 Using the last function would be something like this:
21713 (setq message-required-news-headers
21714 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21715 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21716 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21717 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21725 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21727 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21728 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21729 represent the author of the message.
21732 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21733 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21734 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21737 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21738 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21740 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21741 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21742 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21744 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21745 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
21746 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
21747 converts the file to Face format by using the
21748 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
21750 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
21751 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21754 (setq message-required-news-headers
21755 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21756 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
21757 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
21762 @subsection Smileys
21767 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21772 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21773 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21775 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21776 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21779 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21782 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21783 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21784 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21785 text and maps that to file names.
21787 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21788 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21789 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21790 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21791 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21794 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21799 @item smiley-data-directory
21800 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21801 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21803 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21804 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21805 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21819 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21820 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
21821 over your shoulder as you read news.
21823 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21832 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21833 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21834 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21835 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21836 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21837 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21838 @code{GIF} formats.
21841 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21842 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21843 point your Web browser at
21844 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21846 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21847 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21849 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21850 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21853 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21857 @item gnus-picon-databases
21858 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21859 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21860 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21861 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21862 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21864 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21865 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21866 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21867 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21869 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21870 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21871 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21872 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21874 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21875 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21876 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21877 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21878 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21880 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21881 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21882 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21883 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
21889 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21892 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21893 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21894 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21895 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21896 unusual directory structure.
21898 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21899 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21900 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21901 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21903 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21904 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21905 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21906 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21907 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21908 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21910 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21911 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21912 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21917 @subsubsection Toolbar
21921 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21922 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21923 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21924 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21925 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21927 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21928 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21929 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21931 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21932 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21933 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21935 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21936 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21937 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21948 @node Fuzzy Matching
21949 @section Fuzzy Matching
21950 @cindex fuzzy matching
21952 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21953 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21955 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21956 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21957 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21959 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21960 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21961 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21962 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21963 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21966 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21967 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21971 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21973 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21974 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21975 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21976 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21977 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21978 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21979 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21980 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21983 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21984 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21985 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21986 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21987 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21988 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21990 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21993 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21994 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21995 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21996 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21997 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21998 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22001 @node The problem of spam
22002 @subsection The problem of spam
22004 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22005 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22007 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22009 First, some background on spam.
22011 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22012 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
22013 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
22014 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
22015 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
22016 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
22017 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
22018 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22020 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22021 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22022 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22023 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22024 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22025 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22026 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22027 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22028 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22031 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
22032 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
22033 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
22034 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
22035 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
22036 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
22037 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
22038 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
22039 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
22040 mail can be useful.
22042 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22043 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22044 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22045 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22046 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into
22047 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the
22048 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
22049 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
22050 message is spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22052 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22053 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22054 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22055 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22056 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22057 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
22058 because of the incident.
22060 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22061 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22062 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22063 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22064 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22065 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22066 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22067 to store the database of spam analyses.
22069 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22070 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22074 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22076 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22077 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22079 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22080 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22081 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22082 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22083 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22084 part of the mail address.)
22087 (setq message-default-news-headers
22088 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22091 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22092 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22097 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22098 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22099 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22105 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22106 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22107 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22108 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22110 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22111 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22112 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22113 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22114 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22115 your fancy split rule in this way:
22120 (to "larsi" "misc")
22124 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22125 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22126 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22127 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22128 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22130 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22131 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22132 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22133 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22138 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22139 @cindex SpamAssassin
22140 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22143 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
22144 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22145 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22146 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22147 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22148 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22149 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22151 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22152 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22153 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22154 Specifiers}) follow.
22158 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22161 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22164 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22165 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22166 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22169 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22173 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22176 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22177 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22181 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22182 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22183 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22184 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22187 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22189 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22191 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
22192 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
22194 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
22196 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22197 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22201 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22202 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22203 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22206 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22207 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22209 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22210 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22211 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22215 @subsection Hashcash
22218 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22219 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22220 you cannot rely on everyone in the world using this technique,
22221 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22222 in smaller communities.
22224 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22225 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22226 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22227 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22228 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22229 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
22230 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22231 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22232 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22233 one of them separately.
22236 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22237 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22238 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22239 header. For more details, and for the external application
22240 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22241 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22242 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22244 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22248 (require 'hashcash)
22249 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22252 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22253 contrib directory or at
22254 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22256 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22260 @item hashcash-default-payment
22261 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22262 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22263 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22264 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22266 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22267 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22268 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22269 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22270 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22271 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22272 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22273 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22274 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22278 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22282 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22283 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22284 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22285 a useful contribution, however.
22287 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22288 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22289 @cindex spam filtering
22292 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22293 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22294 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22295 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22298 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22300 First of all, you @strong{must} set the variable
22301 @code{spam-install-hooks} to @code{t} and install the @code{spam.el} hooks:
22304 (setq spam-install-hooks t)
22305 (spam-install-hooks-function)
22308 This is automatically done for you if you load @code{spam.el}
22309 @emph{after} one of the @code{spam-use-*} variables explained later
22310 are set. So you should load @code{spam.el} after you set one of the
22311 @code{spam-use-*} variables:
22314 (setq spam-use-bogofilter t)
22318 You get the following keyboard commands:
22328 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22329 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22331 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22332 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22333 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22334 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22340 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22341 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22343 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22349 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22350 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22353 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22354 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22355 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22356 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22357 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22358 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22359 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22360 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22361 will be detected later.
22363 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22364 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22365 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22366 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22367 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22368 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22369 by customizing the corresponding variable
22370 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22371 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22372 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22373 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22374 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22375 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22376 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22379 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22381 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22382 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22383 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22384 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22385 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22386 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22387 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to nil. You should
22388 remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary buffer for
22389 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
22390 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
22391 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
22392 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
22393 will study them as spam samples.
22395 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22396 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22397 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22398 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22399 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22400 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22401 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22402 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22405 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22406 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22407 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22411 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22412 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22416 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22417 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22418 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22419 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22420 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22421 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22424 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22425 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22426 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22427 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22428 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22429 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22430 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22431 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22432 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22433 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
22434 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22435 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
22436 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22437 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22439 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22440 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22442 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22443 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22444 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22445 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22446 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22447 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22448 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22449 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
22450 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
22451 the spam articles are only expired.
22453 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22454 must add the following to your fancy split list
22455 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22461 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22462 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22463 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22465 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22466 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22467 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22468 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}.
22470 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22471 e.g. @samp{'spam-use-regex-headers}. Why is this useful?
22473 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22474 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22477 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22478 (any "ding" "ding")
22484 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22485 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22486 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22487 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22488 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22489 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22491 You can let SpamAssassin headers supercede ding rules, but all other
22492 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22493 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22496 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22497 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22498 (any "ding" "ding")
22504 Basically, this lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks
22505 depending on your particular needs. You don't have to throw all mail
22506 into all the spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that
22507 messages to mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have
22508 resource-intensive blackhole checks performed on them. You could also
22509 specify different spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap
22512 You still have to have specific checks such as
22513 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you specifically
22514 invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is that when
22515 loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on
22516 what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
22518 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22520 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22521 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22522 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22523 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22524 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22525 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22526 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22527 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22529 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22531 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22532 into a back end. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22533 longer spam or ham.}
22535 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22536 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22539 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22540 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22543 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22544 * BBDB Whitelists::
22545 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22546 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22548 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22550 * ifile spam filtering::
22551 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22553 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22556 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22557 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22558 @cindex spam filtering
22559 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22560 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22563 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22565 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22566 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22567 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22568 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22573 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22575 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22576 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22577 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22578 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22579 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22583 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22585 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22586 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22587 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22591 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22593 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22594 customizing the group parameters or the
22595 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22596 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22597 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22601 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22603 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22604 customizing the group parameters or the
22605 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22606 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22607 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22608 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22609 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22613 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22614 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22615 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22616 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22617 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22619 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22620 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22621 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22622 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22624 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22625 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22626 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22627 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22628 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22629 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22631 @node BBDB Whitelists
22632 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22633 @cindex spam filtering
22634 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22635 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22638 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22640 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22641 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22642 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22643 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22644 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22645 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22646 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22650 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22652 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22653 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22654 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22655 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22656 classified as spammers.
22660 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22662 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22663 customizing the group parameters or the
22664 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22665 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22666 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22667 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22668 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22672 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
22673 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
22674 @cindex spam reporting
22675 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22676 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22679 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
22681 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22682 customizing the group parameters or the
22683 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22684 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22685 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
22688 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
22692 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
22694 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
22695 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
22696 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
22697 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
22698 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
22703 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22704 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22705 @cindex spam filtering
22706 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
22709 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
22711 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22712 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
22713 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
22714 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
22715 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
22716 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
22717 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
22723 @subsubsection Blackholes
22724 @cindex spam filtering
22725 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22728 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22730 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22731 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22732 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22733 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22734 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22735 contains outdated servers.
22737 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22738 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22739 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
22740 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
22741 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
22742 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22746 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22748 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22752 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22754 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22755 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
22759 @defvar spam-use-dig
22761 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22762 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22766 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22767 ham processor for blackholes.
22769 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22770 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22771 @cindex spam filtering
22772 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22775 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22777 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22778 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22779 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22780 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22781 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22782 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22786 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22788 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22789 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22793 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22795 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22796 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22800 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22801 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22804 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22805 @cindex spam filtering
22806 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22809 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22811 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22814 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22815 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22816 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22817 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22818 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22819 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22821 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
22822 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
22825 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22826 processing will be turned off.
22828 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22832 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22834 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22835 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22836 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22837 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22838 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22839 installation documents for details.
22841 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22845 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22846 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22847 customizing the group parameters or the
22848 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22849 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22850 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22853 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22854 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22855 customizing the group parameters or the
22856 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22857 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22858 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22859 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22860 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22863 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22865 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22866 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22867 database directory.
22871 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
22872 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22873 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22874 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22875 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22876 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22878 @node ifile spam filtering
22879 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22880 @cindex spam filtering
22881 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22884 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22886 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
22887 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22891 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22893 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22894 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22895 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22899 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22901 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22902 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22903 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22906 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22908 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22909 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22913 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22914 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22915 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22916 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22919 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22920 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22921 @cindex spam filtering
22922 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22926 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22928 @defvar spam-use-stat
22930 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22931 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22935 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22936 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22937 customizing the group parameters or the
22938 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22939 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22940 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22943 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22944 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22945 customizing the group parameters or the
22946 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22947 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22948 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22949 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22950 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22953 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
22954 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
22955 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
22956 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
22957 @code{spam-split} are provided.
22960 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
22961 @cindex spam filtering
22965 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
22966 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
22967 installed separately.
22969 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
22970 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
22971 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
22972 mail as a spam mail or not.
22974 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
22975 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
22976 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
22978 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
22979 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
22981 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
22982 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
22983 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
22984 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
22985 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
22986 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
22987 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
22988 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
22992 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
22993 spam-split-group "Junk"
22994 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
22995 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
22996 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
22999 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23000 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23004 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23005 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23006 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23010 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23011 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23012 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23013 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23014 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23015 database to live somewhere special, set
23016 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23019 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23020 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23021 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23022 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23023 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23024 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23025 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23026 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23027 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23028 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23030 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23031 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23032 customizing the group parameter or the
23033 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23034 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23035 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23038 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23039 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23040 customizing the group parameter or the
23041 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23042 to a grup's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23043 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23044 messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam} or
23045 @emph{unclassified} groups.
23048 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of an group that has been
23049 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23052 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23054 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle)))
23056 For this group the @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle} is
23057 installed. If the group contains spam message (e.g. because SpamOracle
23058 has not had enough sample messages yet) and the user marks some
23059 messages as spam messages, these messages will be processed by
23060 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}. This processor sends
23061 the messages to SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23063 @node Extending the spam elisp package
23064 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
23065 @cindex spam filtering
23066 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23067 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23069 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23070 incoming mail, provide the following:
23078 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23079 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23084 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23086 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23091 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23092 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
23093 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
23095 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23096 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23097 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23101 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23108 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23109 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23112 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23113 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23114 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23116 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23117 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23118 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23126 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
23127 (spam-generic-register-routine
23128 ;; @r{the spam function}
23130 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23131 (when (stringp from)
23132 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
23133 ;; @r{the ham function}
23136 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
23137 (spam-generic-register-routine
23138 ;; @r{the spam function}
23140 ;; @r{the ham function}
23142 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23143 (when (stringp from)
23144 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
23147 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
23148 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
23149 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
23150 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
23151 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
23152 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
23157 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23158 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23159 @cindex Paul Graham
23160 @cindex Graham, Paul
23161 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23162 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23163 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23165 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23166 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23167 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23168 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23169 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23170 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23171 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23172 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23173 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23176 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23177 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23178 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23179 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23180 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23181 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23182 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23183 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23185 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23186 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23187 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23188 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23189 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23192 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23193 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23194 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23197 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23198 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23200 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23201 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23202 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23203 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23204 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23206 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23207 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23208 per mail. Use the following:
23210 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23211 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23212 is treated as one spam mail.
23215 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23216 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23217 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23220 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
23221 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
23222 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
23223 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
23224 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
23225 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
23227 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
23228 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
23229 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
23230 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
23231 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
23234 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
23235 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
23236 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
23237 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
23240 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
23241 reset the dictionary.
23243 @defun spam-stat-reset
23244 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
23247 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
23248 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
23249 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
23250 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
23251 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
23252 only non-spam mails.
23254 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
23255 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
23256 to update the dictionary incrementally.
23259 @defun spam-stat-save
23260 Save the dictionary.
23263 @defvar spam-stat-file
23264 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
23265 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
23268 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
23269 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
23271 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
23272 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23275 (require 'spam-stat)
23279 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
23282 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
23283 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
23284 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
23285 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
23287 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
23288 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
23289 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
23290 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
23293 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23294 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23298 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
23299 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
23302 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
23303 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
23304 expression are considered potential spam.
23307 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23308 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23309 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23313 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
23314 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
23315 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
23316 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
23317 mails, when creating the dictionary!
23320 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23321 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23322 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23326 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
23327 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
23328 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
23329 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
23330 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
23334 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23335 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
23336 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23337 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23342 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23343 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23345 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
23347 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
23348 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
23349 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23352 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
23353 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
23354 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23357 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
23358 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
23359 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
23360 already been processed as non-spam.
23363 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
23364 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
23365 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
23366 been processed as spam.
23369 @defun spam-stat-save
23370 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
23371 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23374 @defun spam-stat-load
23375 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
23376 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23379 @defun spam-stat-score-word
23380 Return the spam score for a word.
23383 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
23384 Return the spam score for a buffer.
23387 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
23388 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
23389 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23392 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
23393 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23396 (require 'spam-stat)
23400 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
23403 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23404 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23405 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23406 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23407 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23408 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23409 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23410 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23411 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23412 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23413 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23414 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23415 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23416 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23419 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
23422 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23423 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23424 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23425 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
23426 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23427 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23430 @node Various Various
23431 @section Various Various
23437 @item gnus-home-directory
23438 @vindex gnus-home-directory
23439 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
23440 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
23442 @item gnus-directory
23443 @vindex gnus-directory
23444 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
23445 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
23446 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
23448 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
23449 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
23450 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
23451 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
23453 @item gnus-default-directory
23454 @vindex gnus-default-directory
23455 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
23456 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
23457 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
23458 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
23459 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
23460 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
23463 @vindex gnus-verbose
23464 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
23465 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
23466 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
23467 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
23468 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
23470 @item gnus-verbose-backends
23471 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
23472 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
23473 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
23475 @item nnheader-max-head-length
23476 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
23477 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
23478 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
23479 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
23480 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
23481 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
23482 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
23483 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
23484 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
23486 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
23487 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
23488 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
23489 read when doing the operation described above.
23491 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23492 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23494 @cindex invalid characters in file names
23495 @cindex characters in file names
23496 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
23497 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
23498 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
23502 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23507 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
23508 Windows (phooey) systems.
23510 @item gnus-hidden-properties
23511 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
23512 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
23513 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
23514 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
23516 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
23517 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
23518 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
23519 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
23520 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
23522 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
23523 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
23524 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
23526 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23527 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23529 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
23530 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
23531 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
23532 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
23535 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
23543 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
23544 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
23546 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23548 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23554 Not because of victories @*
23557 but for the common sunshine,@*
23559 the largess of the spring.
23563 but for the day's work done@*
23564 as well as I was able;@*
23565 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23566 but at the common table.@*
23571 @chapter Appendices
23574 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23575 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23576 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23577 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23578 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23579 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23580 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23581 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23582 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
23589 @cindex installing under XEmacs
23591 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23592 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23593 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23594 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23595 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23596 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23603 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23604 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23606 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23607 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23608 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23609 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23610 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23612 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23613 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23614 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23615 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23616 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23617 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23619 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23620 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23621 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23622 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23625 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23626 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23627 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23628 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23629 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23630 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23631 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23632 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23633 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23637 @node Gnus Versions
23638 @subsection Gnus Versions
23640 @cindex September Gnus
23642 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23643 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23646 @cindex Gnus versions
23648 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23649 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23650 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23652 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23653 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23655 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23656 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23658 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23659 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23661 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23662 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23665 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23667 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23668 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23669 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23670 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23671 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23672 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23675 @node Other Gnus Versions
23676 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23679 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23680 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23681 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
23682 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
23684 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23685 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23686 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23687 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23694 What's the point of Gnus?
23696 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23697 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23698 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23699 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23700 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23701 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23702 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23703 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23704 keep track of millions of people who post?
23706 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23707 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23708 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23709 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23710 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23711 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23712 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23713 every one of you to explore and invent.
23715 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23716 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23719 @node Compatibility
23720 @subsection Compatibility
23722 @cindex compatibility
23723 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23724 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23725 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23730 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23734 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23737 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23740 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23741 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23742 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23743 important variables have their values copied into their global
23744 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23745 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23747 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23748 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23749 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23750 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23751 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23755 @cindex highlighting
23756 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23757 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23758 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23759 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23760 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23761 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23764 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23765 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23766 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23767 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23769 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23770 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23771 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23772 to stop doing it the old way.
23774 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23776 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23778 @cindex reporting bugs
23780 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23781 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23782 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23784 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23785 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23786 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23787 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23792 @subsection Conformity
23794 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23795 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23803 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23807 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23809 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23810 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23811 We do have some breaches to this one.
23817 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23818 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23819 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23820 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23821 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23826 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23827 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23828 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23829 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23831 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23832 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
23833 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
23835 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23836 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23838 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23841 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
23842 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
23843 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
23844 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
23845 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
23848 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23849 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23850 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23851 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23853 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23854 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
23856 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23857 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
23858 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
23859 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
23860 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
23861 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
23862 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
23863 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
23867 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23868 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23873 @subsection Emacsen
23879 Gnus should work on :
23887 XEmacs 21.1 and up.
23891 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23892 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23895 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23896 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23897 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23901 @node Gnus Development
23902 @subsection Gnus Development
23904 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23905 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23906 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23907 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23908 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23909 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23910 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23911 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23913 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23914 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23915 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23916 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23917 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23920 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23921 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23922 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23923 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23924 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23926 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23927 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23928 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23929 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23930 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23931 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23932 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23933 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23934 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23935 can't be assumed to do so.
23940 @subsection Contributors
23941 @cindex contributors
23943 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23944 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23945 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23946 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23947 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23948 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23949 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23950 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23951 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23952 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23954 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23960 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23963 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23964 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
23965 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23966 functionality and stuff.
23969 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23970 well as numerous other things).
23973 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
23976 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
23979 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
23982 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
23985 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
23986 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
23989 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
23992 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
23993 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23996 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
23999 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24002 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24005 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24008 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24009 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24012 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24015 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24018 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24021 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24025 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24028 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24031 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24034 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24035 well as autoconf support.
24039 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24040 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24042 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24057 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24059 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24063 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24073 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24088 Massimo Campostrini,
24093 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24094 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24098 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24101 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24107 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24112 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24116 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24124 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24126 Michelangelo Grigni,
24130 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24132 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24134 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24141 François Felix Ingrand,
24142 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24143 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24145 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24155 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24156 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24158 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24159 Thor Kristoffersen,
24162 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24180 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24181 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24188 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
24193 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
24197 John McClary Prevost,
24203 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
24208 Christian von Roques,
24211 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
24218 Philippe Schnoebelen,
24220 Randal L. Schwartz,
24234 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
24239 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
24259 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
24260 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
24261 (550kB and counting).
24263 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
24266 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
24267 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
24271 @subsection New Features
24272 @cindex new features
24275 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
24276 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
24277 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
24278 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
24279 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
24280 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
24283 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
24284 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
24285 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
24288 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
24290 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
24295 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
24296 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
24299 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
24300 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
24303 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
24306 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
24307 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
24308 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
24311 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
24312 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
24313 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
24314 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24317 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
24318 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24321 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
24322 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
24323 (@pxref{The Active File}).
24326 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
24327 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
24330 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
24331 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
24332 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24335 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
24336 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
24337 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
24340 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
24341 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
24344 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
24345 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
24348 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
24349 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
24352 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
24353 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24356 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
24357 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
24360 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
24361 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24364 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
24367 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
24368 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
24371 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
24372 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
24375 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
24376 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
24379 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
24382 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
24383 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24386 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
24390 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
24394 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
24395 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
24398 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
24404 @node September Gnus
24405 @subsubsection September Gnus
24409 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
24413 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
24418 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
24419 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
24423 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
24424 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
24428 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
24432 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
24433 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
24436 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
24440 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24443 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
24446 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
24449 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
24453 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
24454 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
24457 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
24461 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
24465 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
24469 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
24473 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
24476 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
24477 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
24480 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
24484 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
24485 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
24488 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
24491 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
24492 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
24493 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24496 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
24500 The Gnus cache is much faster.
24503 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
24507 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
24508 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24511 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
24512 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
24515 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
24516 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
24519 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
24520 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
24521 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
24524 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
24525 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
24528 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
24531 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24534 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
24537 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
24540 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
24541 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
24544 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
24548 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
24551 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
24556 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24559 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24563 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24566 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24570 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24573 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24576 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24577 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24580 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24581 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24585 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24586 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24589 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24593 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24594 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24597 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24600 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24604 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24608 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24609 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24612 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24616 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24617 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24620 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24621 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24624 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24628 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24631 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24634 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24640 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24642 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24646 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24653 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24656 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24657 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24660 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24661 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24665 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24666 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24669 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24672 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24673 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24676 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24680 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24681 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24685 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24686 Server Internals}).
24689 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24693 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24696 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24697 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24700 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24701 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24702 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24705 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24706 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24709 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24710 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24713 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24717 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24718 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24721 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24722 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24725 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24729 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24732 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24736 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24737 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24740 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24741 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24744 A new command for reading collections of documents
24745 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24746 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24749 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24753 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
24754 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24757 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24758 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24759 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24762 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24763 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24767 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24771 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24775 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24780 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24784 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24788 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24789 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24792 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24798 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24800 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24805 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24806 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
24807 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
24810 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24811 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24812 group, which is created automatically.
24815 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24819 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24822 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24823 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24826 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24830 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24833 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24834 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24837 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24840 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
24844 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24845 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24848 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24849 control over simplification.
24852 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24855 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24859 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24862 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24865 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24866 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24867 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24870 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24871 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24874 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24878 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24879 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24882 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24883 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
24886 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24890 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24893 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24896 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24897 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24900 A new function for citing in Message has been
24901 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24904 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24907 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24911 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24912 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24915 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24916 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24919 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24922 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24926 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24927 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24929 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24934 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24935 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24937 If you used procmail like in
24940 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24941 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24942 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24943 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24946 this now has changed to
24950 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24954 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
24957 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24958 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24961 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24962 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24965 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24966 called to position point.
24969 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24970 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
24973 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
24974 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
24977 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
24978 subtly different manner.
24981 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
24982 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
24983 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
24986 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
24991 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
24994 New features in Gnus 5.10:
24999 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25000 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25003 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25005 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25006 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25007 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25008 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25009 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25010 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25011 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25012 isn't save in general.
25017 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25018 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25019 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25020 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25025 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} installs key bindings in dired buffers to send
25026 a file as an attachment (@kbd{C-c C-a}), open a file using the appropriate
25027 mailcap entry (@kbd{C-c C-l}), and print a file using the mailcap entry
25028 (@kbd{C-c P}). It is enabled with
25030 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25034 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25037 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25042 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25043 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25045 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25046 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25050 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25051 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25054 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25056 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25057 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25062 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25063 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25064 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25067 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25068 decompressed when activated.
25071 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25072 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25075 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25078 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25079 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25082 Warn about email replies to news
25084 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25085 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25089 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25090 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25094 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25095 opposed to old but unread messages).
25098 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25099 Gcc articles as read.
25102 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25105 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25106 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25109 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25110 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25113 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25114 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25117 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25118 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25121 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25123 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25124 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25125 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25126 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25129 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25131 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25132 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25133 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25134 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25135 the second parameter.
25137 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25138 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25139 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25140 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25141 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25142 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25143 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25144 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25145 cycle used under Unix systems.
25147 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25151 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25153 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25154 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25155 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25156 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25157 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25161 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25163 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25164 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25165 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25166 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25170 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25172 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25173 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25174 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25175 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25177 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25178 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
25179 message cited below.
25182 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
25185 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
25187 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
25188 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
25189 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
25190 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
25191 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
25194 (setq gnus-parameters
25196 (gnus-show-threads nil)
25197 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
25198 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
25199 (to-group . "\\1"))))
25203 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
25205 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
25209 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
25211 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
25212 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
25213 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
25214 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
25215 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
25216 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
25217 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
25218 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
25219 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
25222 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
25224 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
25225 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
25226 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
25227 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
25228 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
25229 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
25232 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
25233 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
25237 Improved anti-spam features.
25239 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
25240 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
25241 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
25242 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
25243 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
25246 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
25249 Face headers handling.
25252 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
25253 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
25256 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
25259 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
25261 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
25262 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
25263 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
25264 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
25265 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
25266 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
25267 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
25268 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
25269 when getting new mail, remove the function.
25272 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
25274 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
25275 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
25276 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
25277 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
25278 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
25279 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
25280 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
25281 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
25282 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
25283 was inserted directly.
25286 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
25288 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
25289 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
25295 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
25296 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
25297 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
25298 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
25299 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
25300 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
25301 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
25302 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
25303 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
25304 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
25305 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
25306 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
25307 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
25308 is not needed any more.
25311 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
25313 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
25314 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
25315 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
25316 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
25317 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
25321 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
25323 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
25324 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
25327 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
25329 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
25330 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
25331 lisp directory into load-path.
25333 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
25334 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
25337 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
25339 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
25342 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
25344 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
25345 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
25346 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
25347 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
25350 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
25352 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
25354 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
25355 'bbdb-complete-name)
25359 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
25361 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
25362 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
25363 local files as external parts.
25365 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
25366 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
25367 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
25368 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
25369 that support editing.
25372 @code{gnus-default-charset}
25374 The default value is determined from the
25375 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
25376 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
25377 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
25380 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
25382 Add a new format of match like
25384 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
25385 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25387 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
25389 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
25390 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25394 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
25396 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
25397 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
25398 need add those two headers too.
25401 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
25403 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
25404 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
25405 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
25408 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
25409 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
25410 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
25414 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
25416 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
25419 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
25421 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
25424 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
25426 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
25427 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
25428 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
25431 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
25433 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
25437 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
25439 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
25440 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for cancelling and
25441 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
25442 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
25443 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
25444 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
25445 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
25446 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
25449 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
25451 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
25452 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
25453 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
25454 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
25455 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
25458 Extended format specs.
25460 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
25461 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
25462 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
25463 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
25464 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
25465 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
25468 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
25470 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
25471 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
25472 out other articles.
25474 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
25476 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
25477 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
25478 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
25479 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
25482 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
25484 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
25485 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
25486 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
25489 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
25491 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
25492 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
25493 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
25494 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
25495 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
25496 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
25497 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
25498 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
25499 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
25500 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
25501 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
25504 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
25505 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
25508 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
25509 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
25510 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
25511 message, Message Manual}).
25514 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
25515 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
25517 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
25518 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
25519 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
25521 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
25525 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
25526 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
25528 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
25529 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
25530 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
25531 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
25534 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
25537 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
25540 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
25541 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
25548 @section The Manual
25552 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
25553 either @code{texi2dvi}
25555 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
25556 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
25558 to get what you hold in your hands now.
25560 The following conventions have been used:
25565 This is a @samp{string}
25568 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
25571 This is a @file{file}
25574 This is a @code{symbol}
25578 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
25582 (setq flargnoze "yes")
25585 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
25588 (setq flumphel 'yes)
25591 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
25592 ever get them confused.
25596 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
25597 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
25598 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
25599 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
25600 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
25601 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
25602 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
25608 @node On Writing Manuals
25609 @section On Writing Manuals
25611 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
25612 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
25613 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
25614 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
25615 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
25616 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
25619 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
25620 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
25621 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
25624 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
25625 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
25630 @section Terminology
25632 @cindex terminology
25637 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
25638 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
25639 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
25640 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
25641 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
25645 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
25646 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
25647 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
25648 not posting, and replying is not following up.
25652 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
25656 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
25661 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
25662 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
25663 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
25664 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
25665 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
25666 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
25667 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
25668 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
25669 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
25672 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
25673 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
25674 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
25675 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
25676 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
25677 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
25679 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
25680 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
25681 access the articles.
25683 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
25684 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
25685 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
25690 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
25691 default, way of getting news.
25695 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
25696 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
25701 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
25702 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
25706 A message that has been posted as news.
25709 @cindex mail message
25710 A message that has been mailed.
25714 A mail message or news article
25718 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
25723 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
25728 A line from the head of an article.
25732 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
25733 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
25735 @item @acronym{NOV}
25736 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
25737 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
25738 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
25739 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
25740 normal @sc{head} format.
25744 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
25745 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
25746 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
25747 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
25748 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
25749 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
25751 @item killed groups
25752 @cindex killed groups
25753 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
25754 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
25756 @item zombie groups
25757 @cindex zombie groups
25758 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
25761 @cindex active file
25762 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
25763 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
25764 is rather large, as you might surmise.
25767 @cindex bogus groups
25768 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
25769 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
25770 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
25773 @cindex activating groups
25774 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
25775 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
25776 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
25780 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
25782 @item select method
25783 @cindex select method
25784 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
25787 @item virtual server
25788 @cindex virtual server
25789 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
25790 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
25791 whole is a virtual server.
25795 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
25796 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
25799 @item ephemeral groups
25800 @cindex ephemeral groups
25801 @cindex temporary groups
25802 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
25803 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
25804 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
25807 @cindex solid groups
25808 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
25809 group buffer are solid groups.
25811 @item sparse articles
25812 @cindex sparse articles
25813 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
25814 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
25818 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
25819 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
25823 @cindex thread root
25824 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
25825 articles in the thread.
25829 An article that has responses.
25833 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
25837 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
25838 specified by RFC 1153.
25841 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
25842 @cindex mail sorting
25843 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
25844 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
25845 incorrectly called mail filtering.
25851 @node Customization
25852 @section Customization
25853 @cindex general customization
25855 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
25856 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
25857 for some quite common situations.
25860 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
25861 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
25862 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
25863 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
25867 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
25868 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
25870 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
25871 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
25872 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
25876 @item gnus-read-active-file
25877 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
25878 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
25879 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25880 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
25881 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
25883 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
25884 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
25885 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
25886 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
25890 @node Slow Terminal Connection
25891 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
25893 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
25894 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
25895 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
25899 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
25900 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
25901 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
25902 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
25903 horizontal and vertical recentering.
25905 @item gnus-visible-headers
25906 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
25907 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
25908 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
25909 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
25911 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
25913 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
25914 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
25915 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
25918 @item gnus-use-full-window
25919 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
25920 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
25921 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
25922 want to read them anyway.
25924 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
25925 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
25929 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
25930 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
25931 lines, which might save some time.
25935 @node Little Disk Space
25936 @subsection Little Disk Space
25939 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
25940 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
25944 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
25945 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
25946 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25947 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25950 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
25951 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
25952 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25953 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25956 @item gnus-save-killed-list
25957 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
25958 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
25959 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
25960 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
25966 @subsection Slow Machine
25967 @cindex slow machine
25969 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
25970 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
25972 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25973 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
25975 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
25976 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
25977 summary buffer faster.
25981 @node Troubleshooting
25982 @section Troubleshooting
25983 @cindex troubleshooting
25985 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
25993 Make sure your computer is switched on.
25996 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
25997 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26001 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26002 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
26003 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
26004 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26007 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26008 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26011 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26012 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26013 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26014 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26015 something like that.
26018 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26021 @cindex reporting bugs
26023 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26025 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26026 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26027 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26028 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26030 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26031 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26032 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26033 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26036 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26037 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26038 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26039 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26040 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26041 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26043 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26044 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26045 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26049 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26050 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26053 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26054 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26055 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26056 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26057 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26058 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26059 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26060 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26061 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26062 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26063 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26064 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26065 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26066 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26071 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26072 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26073 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26074 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26075 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26077 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26078 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26079 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26080 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26081 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26082 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26083 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26084 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26085 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26086 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26087 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26088 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26089 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26092 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26093 @cindex ding mailing list
26094 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26095 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26096 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26097 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26101 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26102 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26104 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26105 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26106 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26107 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26110 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26111 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26112 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26113 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26114 and general methods of operation.
26117 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26118 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26119 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26120 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26121 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26122 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26123 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26124 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26125 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26129 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26130 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26131 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26132 @cindex utility functions
26134 @cindex internal variables
26136 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26137 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26138 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26142 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26143 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26144 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26146 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26147 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26148 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26150 @item gnus-group-real-name
26151 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26152 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26155 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26156 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26157 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
26158 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
26160 @item gnus-get-info
26161 @findex gnus-get-info
26162 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
26164 @item gnus-group-unread
26165 @findex gnus-group-unread
26166 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
26170 @findex gnus-active
26171 The active entry for @var{group}.
26173 @item gnus-set-active
26174 @findex gnus-set-active
26175 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
26177 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26178 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26179 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
26182 @item gnus-continuum-version
26183 @findex gnus-continuum-version
26184 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
26185 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
26188 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
26189 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
26190 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
26192 @item gnus-news-group-p
26193 @findex gnus-news-group-p
26194 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
26196 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26197 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26198 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
26200 @item gnus-server-to-method
26201 @findex gnus-server-to-method
26202 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
26204 @item gnus-server-equal
26205 @findex gnus-server-equal
26206 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
26208 @item gnus-group-native-p
26209 @findex gnus-group-native-p
26210 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
26212 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
26213 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
26214 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
26216 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
26217 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
26218 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
26220 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
26221 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
26222 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
26223 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
26225 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
26226 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
26227 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
26229 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
26230 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
26231 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
26233 @item gnus-check-backend-function
26234 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
26235 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
26236 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
26239 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
26243 @item gnus-read-method
26244 @findex gnus-read-method
26245 Prompts the user for a select method.
26250 @node Back End Interface
26251 @subsection Back End Interface
26253 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
26254 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
26255 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
26256 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
26257 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
26258 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
26260 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
26261 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
26262 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
26263 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
26264 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
26265 been opened, the function should fail.
26267 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
26268 name. Take this example:
26272 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
26273 (nntp-port-number 4324))
26276 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
26277 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
26279 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
26280 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
26281 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
26283 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
26284 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
26285 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
26287 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
26288 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
26289 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
26290 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
26291 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
26292 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
26295 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
26296 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
26297 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
26298 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
26301 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
26302 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
26303 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
26304 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
26305 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
26306 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
26307 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
26308 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
26309 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
26310 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
26312 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
26313 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
26314 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
26315 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
26316 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
26317 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
26318 of numbers as long as possible.
26320 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
26321 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
26322 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
26324 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
26327 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
26330 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
26331 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
26332 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
26333 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
26334 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
26335 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
26339 @node Required Back End Functions
26340 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
26344 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
26346 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
26347 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
26348 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
26349 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
26351 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
26352 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
26353 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
26354 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
26356 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
26357 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
26358 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
26359 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
26360 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
26361 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
26362 number, do maximum fetches.
26364 Here's an example HEAD:
26367 221 1056 Article retrieved.
26368 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
26369 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
26370 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
26371 Subject: Re: Something very droll
26372 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
26373 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
26375 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
26376 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
26377 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
26381 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
26382 these in the data buffer.
26384 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
26388 head = error / valid-head
26389 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
26390 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
26391 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
26392 header = <text> eol
26396 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
26398 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
26399 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
26403 nov-buffer = *nov-line
26404 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
26405 field = <text except TAB>
26408 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
26412 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
26414 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
26415 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
26417 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
26418 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
26419 server. In fact, it should do so.
26421 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
26422 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
26425 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
26427 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
26428 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
26431 There should be no data returned.
26434 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
26436 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
26437 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
26438 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
26439 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
26441 There should be no data returned.
26444 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
26446 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
26447 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
26448 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
26449 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
26451 There should be no data returned.
26454 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
26456 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
26458 There should be no data returned.
26461 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
26463 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
26464 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
26465 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
26466 it would be nice if that were possible.
26468 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
26469 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
26470 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
26471 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
26472 into its article buffer.
26474 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
26475 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
26476 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
26477 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
26478 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
26479 on successful article retrieval.
26482 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
26484 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
26485 making @var{group} the current group.
26487 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
26490 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
26493 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
26496 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
26497 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
26498 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
26499 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
26500 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
26501 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
26502 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
26503 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
26504 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
26508 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
26509 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
26510 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
26514 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26516 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
26517 a no-op on most back ends.
26519 There should be no data returned.
26522 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
26524 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
26527 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
26530 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
26531 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
26534 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
26535 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
26536 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
26537 and the highest as 0.
26540 active-file = *active-line
26541 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
26543 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
26546 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
26547 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
26548 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
26551 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
26553 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
26554 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
26555 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
26556 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
26557 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
26558 clear if the posting could not be completed.
26560 There should be no result data from this function.
26565 @node Optional Back End Functions
26566 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
26570 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
26572 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
26573 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
26574 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
26576 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
26577 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
26578 former is in the same format as the data from
26579 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
26580 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
26583 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
26587 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
26589 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
26590 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
26591 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
26592 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
26593 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
26595 There should be no result data from this function.
26598 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
26600 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
26601 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
26602 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
26603 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
26604 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
26605 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
26606 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
26607 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
26609 There should be no result data from this function.
26612 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
26614 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
26615 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
26616 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
26617 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
26618 propagate the mark information to the server.
26620 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
26623 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
26626 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
26627 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
26628 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
26629 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
26630 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
26631 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
26632 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
26633 possible, not limit itself to these.
26635 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
26636 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
26637 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
26638 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
26640 An example action list:
26643 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
26644 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
26645 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
26648 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
26649 mark on (currently not used for anything).
26651 There should be no result data from this function.
26653 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
26655 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
26656 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
26657 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
26658 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
26659 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
26661 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
26662 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
26663 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
26666 There should be no result data from this function.
26669 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
26671 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
26672 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
26673 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
26674 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
26675 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
26676 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
26677 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
26678 local if that's practical.
26680 There should be no result data from this function.
26683 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
26685 The result data from this function should be a description of
26689 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
26691 description = <text>
26694 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
26696 The result data from this function should be the description of all
26697 groups available on the server.
26700 description-buffer = *description-line
26704 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
26706 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
26707 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
26708 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
26709 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
26710 in the active buffer format.
26712 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
26713 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
26714 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
26715 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
26716 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
26717 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
26718 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
26721 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26723 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
26725 There should be no return data.
26728 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
26730 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
26731 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
26732 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
26733 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
26734 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
26737 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
26740 There should be no result data returned.
26743 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
26745 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
26746 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
26748 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
26749 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
26750 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
26751 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
26752 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
26753 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
26755 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
26756 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
26759 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26760 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26762 There should be no data returned.
26765 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
26767 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
26768 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
26769 this function in short order.
26771 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26772 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26774 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
26775 article for that group.
26777 There should be no data returned.
26780 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
26782 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
26783 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
26785 There should be no data returned.
26788 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
26790 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
26791 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
26792 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
26794 There should be no data returned.
26797 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
26799 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
26800 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
26802 There should be no data returned.
26807 @node Error Messaging
26808 @subsubsection Error Messaging
26810 @findex nnheader-report
26811 @findex nnheader-get-report
26812 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
26813 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
26814 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
26815 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
26816 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
26817 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
26820 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
26822 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
26825 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
26826 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
26827 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
26828 takes one argument---the server symbol.
26830 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
26831 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
26832 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
26835 @node Writing New Back Ends
26836 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
26838 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
26839 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
26840 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
26841 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
26842 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
26845 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
26846 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
26847 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
26849 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
26850 package called @code{nnoo}.
26852 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
26853 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
26859 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
26860 parameters. For instance:
26863 (nnoo-declare nndir
26867 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
26868 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
26871 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
26872 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
26873 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
26875 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
26876 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
26877 a function in those back ends.
26880 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26881 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26882 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26885 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
26886 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
26887 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
26889 @item nnoo-define-basics
26890 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
26894 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26898 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
26899 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
26900 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
26902 @item nnoo-map-functions
26903 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
26904 functions from the parent back ends.
26907 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26908 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26909 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
26912 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
26913 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
26914 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
26915 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
26918 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
26919 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
26920 haven't already been defined.
26926 nnmh-request-newgroups)
26930 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
26931 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
26932 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
26937 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
26940 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
26941 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
26945 (require 'nnheader)
26949 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
26951 (nnoo-declare nndir
26954 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26955 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26956 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26958 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
26959 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
26962 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
26964 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
26965 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
26966 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
26968 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
26969 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
26971 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
26973 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26975 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
26976 (setq nndir-directory
26977 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
26979 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
26980 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
26981 (push `(nndir-current-group
26982 ,(file-name-nondirectory
26983 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
26985 (push `(nndir-top-directory
26986 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
26988 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
26990 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26991 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26992 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26993 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
26994 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
26998 nnmh-status-message
27000 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27006 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27007 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27009 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27010 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27011 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27012 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27013 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27015 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27016 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27021 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27024 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27026 The abilities can be:
27030 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27032 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27034 This back end supports both mail and news.
27036 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27039 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27040 articles and groups.
27042 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27043 true for almost all back ends.
27044 @item prompt-address
27045 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27046 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27047 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27051 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27052 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27054 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27055 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27056 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27057 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27060 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27061 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27062 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27065 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27066 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27069 This function takes four parameters.
27073 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27076 @item exit-function
27077 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27079 @item temp-directory
27080 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27083 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27084 performed for one group only.
27087 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27088 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27089 find the article number assigned to this article.
27091 The function also uses the following variables:
27092 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27093 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27094 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27095 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27099 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27100 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27104 @node Score File Syntax
27105 @subsection Score File Syntax
27107 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27108 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27109 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27111 Here's a typical score file:
27115 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27122 BNF definition of a score file:
27125 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27126 element = rule / atom
27127 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27128 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27129 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27130 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27132 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27133 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27134 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27135 date-header = "date"
27136 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27137 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27138 score = "nil" / <integer>
27139 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27140 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27141 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27142 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27143 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27144 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27145 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27146 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27147 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27148 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27149 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27150 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27151 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27152 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27153 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27154 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27155 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27156 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27157 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
27158 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
27159 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
27160 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
27161 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
27162 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
27163 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
27164 eval = "eval" space <form>
27165 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
27168 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
27171 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
27172 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
27173 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
27174 one looong line, then that's ok.
27176 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
27177 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27181 @subsection Headers
27183 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
27184 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
27185 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
27186 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
27188 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
27189 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
27190 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
27191 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
27192 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
27193 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
27194 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
27196 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
27197 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
27198 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
27199 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
27200 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
27202 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
27203 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
27209 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
27210 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
27212 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
27213 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
27214 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
27215 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
27217 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
27221 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
27224 is transformed into
27227 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
27230 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
27231 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
27234 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
27237 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
27238 is slightly tricky:
27241 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
27247 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
27250 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
27256 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
27263 and is equal to the previous range.
27265 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
27266 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
27267 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
27271 range = simple-range / normal-range
27272 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
27273 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
27274 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
27275 number *[ " " contents ]
27278 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
27279 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
27280 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
27281 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
27282 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
27287 @subsection Group Info
27289 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
27290 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
27291 describes the group.
27293 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
27294 second is a more complex one:
27297 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
27299 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
27300 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
27302 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
27305 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
27306 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
27307 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
27308 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
27309 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
27310 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
27311 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
27312 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
27313 this section is about.
27315 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
27316 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
27317 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
27319 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
27322 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
27323 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
27324 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27325 group = quote <string> quote
27326 ralevel = rank / level
27327 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27328 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
27329 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27331 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
27332 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
27333 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
27334 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
27337 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
27338 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
27341 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
27342 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
27345 @item gnus-info-group
27346 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
27347 @findex gnus-info-group
27348 @findex gnus-info-set-group
27349 Get/set the group name.
27351 @item gnus-info-rank
27352 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
27353 @findex gnus-info-rank
27354 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
27355 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
27357 @item gnus-info-level
27358 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
27359 @findex gnus-info-level
27360 @findex gnus-info-set-level
27361 Get/set the group level.
27363 @item gnus-info-score
27364 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
27365 @findex gnus-info-score
27366 @findex gnus-info-set-score
27367 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
27369 @item gnus-info-read
27370 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
27371 @findex gnus-info-read
27372 @findex gnus-info-set-read
27373 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
27375 @item gnus-info-marks
27376 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
27377 @findex gnus-info-marks
27378 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
27379 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
27381 @item gnus-info-method
27382 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
27383 @findex gnus-info-method
27384 @findex gnus-info-set-method
27385 Get/set the group select method.
27387 @item gnus-info-params
27388 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
27389 @findex gnus-info-params
27390 @findex gnus-info-set-params
27391 Get/set the group parameters.
27394 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
27395 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
27397 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
27398 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
27399 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
27400 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
27403 @node Extended Interactive
27404 @subsection Extended Interactive
27405 @cindex interactive
27406 @findex gnus-interactive
27408 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
27409 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
27410 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
27413 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
27414 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
27419 The best thing to do would have been to implement
27420 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
27421 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
27422 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
27423 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
27424 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
27425 @code{interactive}.
27427 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
27432 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
27433 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
27437 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
27438 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
27439 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
27442 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
27446 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
27450 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
27456 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
27457 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
27461 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
27462 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
27463 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
27465 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
27466 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
27467 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
27468 Gnus, that's very useful.
27470 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
27471 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
27472 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
27473 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
27474 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
27475 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
27476 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
27477 following function:
27480 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
27484 (,function ,@@args))
27488 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
27489 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
27490 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
27493 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
27494 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
27495 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
27497 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
27498 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
27499 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
27502 @node Various File Formats
27503 @subsection Various File Formats
27506 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
27507 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
27511 @node Active File Format
27512 @subsubsection Active File Format
27514 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
27515 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
27518 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
27521 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
27522 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
27523 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
27524 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
27525 no.general 1000 900 y
27528 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
27531 active = *group-line
27532 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
27533 group = <non-white-space string>
27535 high-number = <non-negative integer>
27536 low-number = <positive integer>
27537 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
27540 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
27541 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
27544 @node Newsgroups File Format
27545 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
27547 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
27548 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
27549 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
27552 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
27553 Here's the definition:
27557 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
27558 group = <non-white-space string>
27560 description = <string>
27565 @node Emacs for Heathens
27566 @section Emacs for Heathens
27568 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
27569 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
27570 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
27571 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
27572 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
27573 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
27574 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
27578 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
27579 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
27584 @subsection Keystrokes
27588 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
27591 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
27594 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
27595 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
27596 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
27597 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
27598 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
27599 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
27601 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
27602 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
27603 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
27604 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
27605 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
27606 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
27607 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
27609 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
27610 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
27611 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
27612 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
27613 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
27614 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
27615 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
27617 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
27618 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
27619 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
27620 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
27621 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
27627 @subsection Emacs Lisp
27629 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
27630 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
27631 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
27632 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
27634 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
27635 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
27636 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
27637 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
27638 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
27639 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
27640 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
27643 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
27644 write the following:
27647 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
27650 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
27651 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
27652 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
27655 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
27656 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
27657 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
27658 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
27659 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
27661 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
27662 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
27663 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
27667 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
27671 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
27674 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
27675 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
27678 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
27681 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
27682 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
27685 @include gnus-faq.texi
27705 @c Local Variables:
27707 @c coding: iso-8859-1