10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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294 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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303 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
305 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
311 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
331 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
333 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
334 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
336 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
337 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
338 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
339 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
340 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
341 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
342 License'' in the Emacs manual.
344 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
345 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
346 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
348 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
349 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
350 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
351 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
359 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
362 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
363 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
365 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
367 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
368 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
369 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
370 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
371 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
372 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
373 License'' in the Emacs manual.
375 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
376 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
377 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
379 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
380 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
381 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
382 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
391 @top The Gnus Newsreader
395 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
396 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
397 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
400 This manual corresponds to Gnus v5.10.2.
411 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
412 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
414 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
415 being accused of plagiarism:
417 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
418 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
419 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
420 can even read news with it!
422 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
423 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
424 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
425 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
426 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
432 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
433 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
434 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
435 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
436 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
437 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
438 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
439 * Various:: General purpose settings.
440 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
441 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
442 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
443 * Key Index:: Key Index.
445 Other related manuals
447 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
448 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
449 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
450 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
453 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
457 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
458 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
459 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
460 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
461 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
462 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
463 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
464 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
465 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
466 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
467 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
471 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
472 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
473 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
477 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
478 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
479 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
480 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
481 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
482 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
483 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
484 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
485 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
486 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
487 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
488 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
489 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
490 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
491 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
492 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
493 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
497 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
498 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
499 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
503 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
504 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
505 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
506 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
507 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
511 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
512 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
513 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
514 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
515 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
519 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
520 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
521 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
522 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
523 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
524 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
525 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
526 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
527 * Threading:: How threads are made.
528 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
529 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
530 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
531 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
532 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
533 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
534 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
535 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
536 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
537 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
538 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
539 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
540 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
541 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
542 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
543 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
544 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
545 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
546 or reselecting the current group.
547 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
548 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
549 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
550 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
552 Summary Buffer Format
554 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
555 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
556 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
557 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
561 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
562 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
564 Reply, Followup and Post
566 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
567 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
568 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
569 * Canceling and Superseding::
573 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
574 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
575 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
576 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
577 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
578 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
582 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
583 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
585 Customizing Threading
587 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
588 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
589 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
590 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
594 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
595 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
596 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
597 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
598 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
599 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
603 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
604 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
605 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
609 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
610 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
611 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
612 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
613 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
614 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
615 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
616 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
617 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
618 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
619 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
621 Alternative Approaches
623 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
624 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
626 Various Summary Stuff
628 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
629 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
630 * Summary Generation Commands::
631 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
635 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
636 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
637 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
638 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
639 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
643 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
644 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
645 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
646 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
647 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
648 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
649 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
650 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
654 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
655 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
656 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
657 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
658 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
659 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
660 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
661 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
665 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
666 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
667 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
668 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
669 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
670 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
671 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
675 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
676 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
680 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
681 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
682 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
686 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
687 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
688 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
689 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
690 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
691 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
692 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
693 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
694 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
695 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
696 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
697 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
698 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
702 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
703 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
704 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
706 Choosing a Mail Back End
708 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
709 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
710 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
711 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
712 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
713 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
714 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
719 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
720 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
721 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
722 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
723 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
724 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
728 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
729 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
730 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
731 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
732 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
733 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
737 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
738 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
739 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
740 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
741 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
745 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
749 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
750 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
751 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
755 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
756 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
760 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
761 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
762 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
763 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
764 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
765 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
766 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
767 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
768 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
769 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
770 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
771 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
772 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
776 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
777 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
778 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
782 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
783 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
784 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
788 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
789 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
790 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
791 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
792 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
793 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
794 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
795 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
796 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
797 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
798 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
799 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
800 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
801 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
802 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
803 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
804 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
808 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
809 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
810 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
811 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
815 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
816 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
817 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
821 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
822 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
823 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
824 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
825 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
826 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
827 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
828 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
829 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
830 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
831 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
832 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
833 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
834 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
835 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
836 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
837 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
838 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
839 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
843 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
844 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
845 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
846 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
847 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
848 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
849 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
850 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
854 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
855 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
856 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
857 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
858 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
862 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
863 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
864 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
865 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
866 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
867 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
869 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
871 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
873 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
874 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
876 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
878 * ifile spam filtering::
879 * spam-stat spam filtering::
881 * Extending the spam elisp package::
883 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
885 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
886 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
887 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
891 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
892 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
893 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
894 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
895 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
896 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
897 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
898 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
899 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ.
903 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
904 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
905 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
906 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
907 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
908 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
909 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
910 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
911 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
915 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
916 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
917 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
918 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
919 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
920 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
924 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
925 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
926 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
927 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
931 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
932 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
933 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
934 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
935 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
936 * Group Info:: The group info format.
937 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
938 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
939 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
943 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
944 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
945 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
946 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
947 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
948 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
952 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
953 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
957 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
958 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
964 @chapter Starting Gnus
969 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
970 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
973 @findex gnus-other-frame
974 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
975 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
976 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
978 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
979 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
980 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
982 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
983 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
986 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
987 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
988 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
989 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
990 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
991 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
992 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
993 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
994 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
995 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
996 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
1000 @node Finding the News
1001 @section Finding the News
1002 @cindex finding news
1004 @vindex gnus-select-method
1006 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1007 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1008 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1009 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1012 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1013 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1016 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1019 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1022 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1025 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1026 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1027 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1029 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1031 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1032 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1033 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1034 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1035 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1036 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1037 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1039 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1040 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1041 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1042 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1044 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1045 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1046 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1047 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1048 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1049 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1050 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1051 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1052 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1055 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1057 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1058 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1059 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1060 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1061 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1062 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1064 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1066 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1067 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1068 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1069 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1070 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1071 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1074 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1075 you would typically set this variable to
1078 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1082 @node The First Time
1083 @section The First Time
1084 @cindex first time usage
1086 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1087 be subscribed by default.
1089 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1090 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1091 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1092 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1095 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1096 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1097 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1099 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1100 help you with most common problems.
1102 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1103 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1107 @node The Server is Down
1108 @section The Server is Down
1109 @cindex server errors
1111 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1112 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1113 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1115 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1116 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1117 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1118 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1119 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1120 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1121 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1123 @findex gnus-no-server
1124 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1126 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1127 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1128 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1129 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1130 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1131 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1132 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1136 @section Slave Gnusae
1139 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1140 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1141 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1142 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1144 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1145 @file{.newsrc} file.
1147 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1148 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1149 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1150 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1151 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1152 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1153 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1156 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1157 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1158 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1159 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1160 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1161 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1162 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1163 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1165 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1166 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1168 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1169 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1170 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1171 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1172 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1174 @node Fetching a Group
1175 @section Fetching a Group
1176 @cindex fetching a group
1178 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1179 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1180 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1181 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1182 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1183 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1189 @cindex subscription
1191 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1192 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1193 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1194 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1195 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1196 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1197 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1198 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1199 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1202 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1203 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1204 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1208 @node Checking New Groups
1209 @subsection Checking New Groups
1211 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1212 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1213 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1214 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1215 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1216 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1217 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1218 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1219 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1220 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1222 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1223 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1224 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1225 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1226 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1227 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1228 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1229 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1230 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1231 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1232 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1234 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1235 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1236 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1237 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1238 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1239 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1242 @node Subscription Methods
1243 @subsection Subscription Methods
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1246 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1247 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1249 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1250 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1252 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1258 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1259 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1260 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1264 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1265 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1269 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1273 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1274 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1275 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1276 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1277 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1278 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1279 up. Or something like that.
1281 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1282 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1283 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1284 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1285 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1287 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1288 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1289 Kill all new groups.
1291 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1292 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1293 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1294 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1295 topic parameter that looks like
1301 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1304 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1309 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1310 A closely related variable is
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1312 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1313 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1314 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1317 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1318 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1319 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1320 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1323 @node Filtering New Groups
1324 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1326 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1327 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1328 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1331 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1334 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1335 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1336 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1337 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1338 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1339 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1340 subscribing these groups.
1341 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1342 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1344 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1345 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1346 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1347 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1348 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1349 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1350 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1351 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1353 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1354 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1355 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1356 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1357 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1358 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1359 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1360 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1361 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1362 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1365 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1366 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1369 @node Changing Servers
1370 @section Changing Servers
1371 @cindex changing servers
1373 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1374 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1375 very flaky and you want to use another.
1377 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1378 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1382 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1383 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1384 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1385 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1388 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1389 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1390 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1391 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1393 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1394 @findex gnus-change-server
1395 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1396 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1397 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1398 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1399 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1401 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1402 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1403 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1404 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1405 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1407 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1408 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1409 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1410 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1411 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1412 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1414 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1415 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1416 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1417 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1419 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1420 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1421 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1422 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1423 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1424 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1425 cache for all groups).
1429 @section Startup Files
1430 @cindex startup files
1435 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1436 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1438 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1439 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1440 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1441 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1442 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1443 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1444 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1446 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1447 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1448 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1449 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1450 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1451 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1453 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1454 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1455 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1456 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1457 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1458 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1459 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1460 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1461 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1462 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1464 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1465 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1466 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1467 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1468 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1469 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1470 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1471 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1472 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1473 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1474 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1475 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1477 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1478 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1479 @vindex version-control
1480 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1481 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1482 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1483 If you want version control for this file, set
1484 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1485 @code{version-control} variable.
1487 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1488 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1489 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1490 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1491 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1492 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1493 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1494 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1495 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1496 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1499 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1500 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1502 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1503 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1506 @vindex gnus-init-file
1507 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1508 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1509 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1510 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1511 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1512 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1513 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1514 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1515 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1516 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1522 @cindex dribble file
1525 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1526 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1527 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1528 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1529 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1532 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1533 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1536 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1537 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1538 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1540 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1541 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1542 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1543 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1544 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1545 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1547 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1548 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1549 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1552 @node The Active File
1553 @section The Active File
1555 @cindex ignored groups
1557 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1558 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1559 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1561 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1562 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1563 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1564 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1565 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1566 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1567 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1570 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1571 @c if you set it to anything else.
1573 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1575 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1576 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1577 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1579 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1580 you actually subscribe to.
1582 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1583 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1584 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1585 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1587 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1588 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1589 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1590 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1591 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1592 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1594 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1595 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1596 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1599 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1600 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1601 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1602 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1603 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1604 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1606 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1607 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1609 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1610 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1612 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1613 secondary select methods.
1616 @node Startup Variables
1617 @section Startup Variables
1621 @item gnus-load-hook
1622 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1623 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1624 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1625 times you start Gnus.
1627 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1629 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1631 @item gnus-startup-hook
1632 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1633 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1635 @item gnus-started-hook
1636 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1637 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1640 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1641 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1642 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1643 generating the group buffer.
1645 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1646 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1647 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1648 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1649 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1650 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1651 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1652 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1654 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1655 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1656 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1657 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1658 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1659 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1661 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1662 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1663 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1665 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1666 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1667 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1669 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1670 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1671 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1672 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1678 @chapter Group Buffer
1679 @cindex group buffer
1681 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1683 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1684 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1685 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1686 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1687 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1688 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1689 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1690 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1691 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1692 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1693 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1694 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1695 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1696 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1697 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1698 @c human rights at 9...
1701 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1702 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1703 long as Gnus is active.
1707 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1708 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1709 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1710 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1711 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1712 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1713 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1714 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1720 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1721 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1722 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1723 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1724 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1725 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1726 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1727 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1728 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1729 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1730 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1731 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1732 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1733 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1734 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1735 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1736 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1740 @node Group Buffer Format
1741 @section Group Buffer Format
1744 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1745 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1746 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1750 @node Group Line Specification
1751 @subsection Group Line Specification
1752 @cindex group buffer format
1754 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1755 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1757 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1760 25: news.announce.newusers
1761 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1766 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1767 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1768 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1769 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1771 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1772 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1773 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1774 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1775 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1776 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1778 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1780 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1781 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1782 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1783 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1784 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1786 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1787 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1788 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1790 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1795 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1798 Whether the group is subscribed.
1801 Level of subscribedness.
1804 Number of unread articles.
1807 Number of dormant articles.
1810 Number of ticked articles.
1813 Number of read articles.
1816 Number of unseen articles.
1819 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1820 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1822 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1823 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1824 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1825 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1826 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1827 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1828 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1829 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1832 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1835 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1844 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1845 comment element in the group parameters.
1848 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1849 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1850 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1854 @samp{m} if moderated.
1857 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1863 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1869 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1873 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1876 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1877 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1878 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1879 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1880 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1883 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1885 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1889 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1892 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1896 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1897 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1898 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1899 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1900 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1901 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1906 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1907 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1908 group, or a bogus native group.
1911 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1912 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1913 @cindex group mode line
1915 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1916 The mode line can be changed by setting
1917 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1918 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1922 The native news server.
1924 The native select method.
1928 @node Group Highlighting
1929 @subsection Group Highlighting
1930 @cindex highlighting
1931 @cindex group highlighting
1933 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1934 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1935 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1936 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1937 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1939 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1943 (cond (window-system
1944 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1945 (defface my-group-face-1
1946 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1947 (defface my-group-face-2
1948 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1949 "Second group face")
1950 (defface my-group-face-3
1951 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1952 (defface my-group-face-4
1953 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1954 (defface my-group-face-5
1955 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1957 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1958 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1959 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1960 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1961 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1962 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1965 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1967 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1974 The number of unread articles in the group.
1978 Whether the group is a mail group.
1980 The level of the group.
1982 The score of the group.
1984 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1986 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1987 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1989 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1990 topic being inserted.
1993 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1994 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1995 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1997 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1998 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1999 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2000 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2001 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2004 @node Group Maneuvering
2005 @section Group Maneuvering
2006 @cindex group movement
2008 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2009 expected, hopefully.
2015 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2016 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2017 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2023 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2024 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2025 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2029 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2030 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2034 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2035 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2039 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2040 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2041 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2045 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2046 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2047 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2050 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2056 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2057 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2058 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2063 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2064 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2065 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2069 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2070 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2071 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2074 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2075 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2076 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2077 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2081 @node Selecting a Group
2082 @section Selecting a Group
2083 @cindex group selection
2088 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2089 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2090 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2091 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2092 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2093 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2094 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2095 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2096 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2097 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2099 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2100 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2101 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2103 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2104 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2109 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2110 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2111 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2112 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2113 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2117 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2118 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2119 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2120 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2121 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2122 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2123 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2124 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2125 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2126 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2129 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2130 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2131 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2132 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2133 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2136 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2137 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2138 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2139 doing any processing of its contents
2140 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2141 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2142 manner will have no permanent effects.
2146 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2147 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2148 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2149 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2150 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2151 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2152 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2153 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2154 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2155 most recently will be fetched.
2157 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2158 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2159 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2162 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2163 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2164 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2165 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2166 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2167 Which article this is is controlled by the
2168 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2174 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2177 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2180 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2182 @item unseen-or-unread
2183 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2184 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2188 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2192 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2193 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2195 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2196 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2197 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2198 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2202 @node Subscription Commands
2203 @section Subscription Commands
2204 @cindex subscription
2212 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2213 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2214 Toggle subscription to the current group
2215 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2221 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2222 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2223 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2224 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2230 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2231 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2232 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2238 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2239 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2242 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2243 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2244 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2245 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2246 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2252 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2253 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2257 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2258 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2261 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2262 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2263 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2264 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2265 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2266 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2267 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2268 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2269 @file{.newsrc} file.
2273 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2283 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2284 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2285 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2286 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2287 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2288 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2293 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2294 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2295 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2299 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2300 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2301 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2303 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2304 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2305 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2306 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2307 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2308 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2315 @section Group Levels
2319 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2320 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2321 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2322 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2323 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2325 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2331 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2332 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2333 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2334 prompted for a level.
2337 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2338 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2339 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2340 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2341 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2342 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2343 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2344 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2345 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2346 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2347 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2348 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2349 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2350 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2351 reasons of efficiency.
2353 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2354 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2356 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2357 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2358 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2359 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2360 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2361 groups are hidden, in a way.
2363 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2364 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2365 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2366 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2367 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2368 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2370 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2371 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2372 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2373 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2374 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2375 list of killed groups.)
2377 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2378 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2379 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2381 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2382 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2383 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2384 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2385 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2386 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2387 relevant valid ranges.
2389 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2390 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2391 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2392 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2393 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2394 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2397 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2398 one with the best level.
2400 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2401 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2402 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2405 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2406 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2407 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2408 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2411 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2412 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2413 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2414 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2416 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2417 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2418 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2419 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2420 to 5. The default is 6.
2424 @section Group Score
2429 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2430 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2431 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2434 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2435 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2436 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2437 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2438 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2439 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2440 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2441 least significant part.))
2443 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2444 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2445 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2446 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2447 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2448 action after each summary exit, you can add
2449 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2450 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2451 slow things down somewhat.
2454 @node Marking Groups
2455 @section Marking Groups
2456 @cindex marking groups
2458 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2459 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2460 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2461 bidding on those groups.
2463 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2464 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2465 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2473 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2474 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2480 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2481 Remove the mark from the current group
2482 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2486 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2487 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2491 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2492 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2496 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2497 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2501 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2502 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2503 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2506 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2508 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2509 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2510 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2511 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2512 the command to be executed.
2515 @node Foreign Groups
2516 @section Foreign Groups
2517 @cindex foreign groups
2519 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2520 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2521 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2522 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2529 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2530 @cindex making groups
2531 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2532 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2533 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2537 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2538 @cindex renaming groups
2539 Rename the current group to something else
2540 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2541 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2547 @findex gnus-group-customize
2548 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2552 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2553 @cindex renaming groups
2554 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2555 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2559 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2560 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2561 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2565 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2566 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2567 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2571 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2573 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2574 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2579 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2580 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2584 @cindex (ding) archive
2585 @cindex archive group
2586 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2587 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2588 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2589 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2590 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2591 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2592 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2596 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2598 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2599 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2600 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2601 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2605 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2607 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2608 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2609 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2613 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2614 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2616 Make a group based on some file or other
2617 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2618 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2619 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2620 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2621 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2622 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2623 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2624 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2625 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2629 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2630 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2631 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2632 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2636 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2640 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2641 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2642 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2643 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2644 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2645 @xref{Web Searches}.
2647 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2648 to a particular group by using a match string like
2649 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2653 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2654 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2655 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2659 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2660 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2661 This function will delete the current group
2662 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2663 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2664 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2665 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2666 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2670 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2671 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2672 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2676 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2677 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2678 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2681 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2684 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2685 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2686 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2687 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2688 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2689 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2693 @node Group Parameters
2694 @section Group Parameters
2695 @cindex group parameters
2697 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2698 Here's an example group parameter list:
2701 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2705 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2706 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2707 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2708 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2710 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2711 is an alist of regexps and values.
2713 The following group parameters can be used:
2718 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2721 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2724 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2725 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2726 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2727 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2728 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2730 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2731 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2732 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2733 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2734 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2735 list address instead.
2737 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2741 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2744 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2747 It is totally ignored
2748 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2749 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2751 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2752 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2753 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2754 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2755 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2757 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2758 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2759 sending the message.
2761 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2762 @cindex mail list groups
2763 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2764 entering summary buffer.
2766 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2771 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2772 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2773 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2774 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2775 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2776 headers for your posts to these lists. @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing
2777 Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for a complete treatment of
2778 available MFT support.
2780 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2781 directly uses this group parameter.
2785 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2786 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2787 of whether it has any unread articles.
2789 @item broken-reply-to
2790 @cindex broken-reply-to
2791 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2792 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2793 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2794 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2795 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2796 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2800 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2801 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2805 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2806 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2807 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2812 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2813 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2814 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2815 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2816 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2817 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2818 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2820 @strong{Caveat}: It yields an error putting @code{(gcc-self . t)} in
2821 groups of an @code{nntp} server or so, because an @code{nntp} server
2822 doesn't accept articles.
2826 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2827 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2828 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2830 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2833 @cindex total-expire
2834 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2835 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2836 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2837 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2840 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2844 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2845 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2846 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2847 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2848 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2849 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2850 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2853 @cindex expiry-target
2854 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2855 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2858 @cindex score file group parameter
2859 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2860 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2861 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2864 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2865 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2866 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2867 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2870 @cindex admin-address
2871 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2872 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2873 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2874 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2878 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2879 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2883 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2886 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2887 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2890 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2894 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2896 Here are some examples:
2900 Display only unread articles.
2903 Display everything except expirable articles.
2905 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2906 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2910 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2911 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2912 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2913 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2914 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2918 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2919 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2920 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2924 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2925 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2926 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2930 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2931 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2932 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2934 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2936 @item ignored-charsets
2937 @cindex ignored-charset
2938 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2939 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2940 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2942 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2945 @cindex posting-style
2946 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2947 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2948 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2949 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2950 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2952 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2953 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2954 like this in the group parameters:
2959 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2960 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2965 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2966 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2970 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2971 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2972 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2973 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2974 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2978 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2979 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2980 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2981 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2983 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2984 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2985 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2986 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2989 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2990 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2994 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
2995 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
2997 @item (agent parameters)
2998 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
2999 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3000 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3001 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3002 minimize the configuration effort.
3004 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3005 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3006 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3007 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3008 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3009 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3010 @code{eval}ed there.
3012 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3013 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3014 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3015 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3016 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3017 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3018 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3019 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3022 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3025 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3026 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3027 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3030 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3033 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3034 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3035 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3036 into the group parameters for the group.
3038 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
3039 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
3040 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
3041 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
3042 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
3046 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3047 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3048 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3049 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3050 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3052 @vindex gnus-parameters
3053 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3054 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3058 (setq gnus-parameters
3060 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3061 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3062 (gnus-summary-line-format
3063 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3067 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3071 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3075 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3078 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3079 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3082 @node Listing Groups
3083 @section Listing Groups
3084 @cindex group listing
3086 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3094 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3095 List all groups that have unread articles
3096 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3097 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3098 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3099 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3106 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3107 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3108 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3109 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3110 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3111 unsubscribed groups).
3115 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3116 List all unread groups on a specific level
3117 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3118 with no unread articles.
3122 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3123 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3124 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3125 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3130 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3131 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3135 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3136 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3137 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3141 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3142 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3146 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3147 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3148 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3149 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3150 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3151 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3152 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3153 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3157 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3158 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3159 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3163 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3164 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3165 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3169 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3170 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3174 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3175 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3179 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3180 List groups limited within the current selection
3181 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3185 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3186 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3190 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3191 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3195 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3196 @cindex visible group parameter
3197 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3198 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3199 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3200 get the same effect.
3202 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3203 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3204 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3205 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3206 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3209 @node Sorting Groups
3210 @section Sorting Groups
3211 @cindex sorting groups
3213 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3214 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3215 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3216 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3217 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3218 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3223 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3224 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3225 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3227 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3228 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3229 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3231 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3232 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3233 Sort by group level.
3235 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3236 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3237 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3239 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3240 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3241 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3242 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3244 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3245 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3246 Sort by number of unread articles.
3248 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3249 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3250 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3252 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3253 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3254 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3259 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3260 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3264 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3265 some sorting criteria:
3269 @kindex G S a (Group)
3270 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3271 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3272 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3275 @kindex G S u (Group)
3276 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3277 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3278 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3281 @kindex G S l (Group)
3282 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3283 Sort the group buffer by group level
3284 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3287 @kindex G S v (Group)
3288 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3289 Sort the group buffer by group score
3290 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3293 @kindex G S r (Group)
3294 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3295 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3296 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3299 @kindex G S m (Group)
3300 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3301 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3302 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3305 @kindex G S n (Group)
3306 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3307 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3308 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3312 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3313 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3315 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3316 commands will sort in reverse order.
3318 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3322 @kindex G P a (Group)
3323 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3324 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3325 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3328 @kindex G P u (Group)
3329 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3330 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3331 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3334 @kindex G P l (Group)
3335 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3336 Sort the groups by group level
3337 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3340 @kindex G P v (Group)
3341 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3342 Sort the groups by group score
3343 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3346 @kindex G P r (Group)
3347 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3348 Sort the groups by group rank
3349 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3352 @kindex G P m (Group)
3353 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3354 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3355 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3358 @kindex G P n (Group)
3359 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3360 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3361 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3364 @kindex G P s (Group)
3365 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3366 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3370 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3374 @node Group Maintenance
3375 @section Group Maintenance
3376 @cindex bogus groups
3381 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3382 Find bogus groups and delete them
3383 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3387 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3388 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3389 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3390 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3391 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3395 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3396 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3397 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3398 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3399 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3400 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3403 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3404 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3405 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3406 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3411 @node Browse Foreign Server
3412 @section Browse Foreign Server
3413 @cindex foreign servers
3414 @cindex browsing servers
3419 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3420 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3421 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3422 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3425 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3426 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3427 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3428 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3430 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3435 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3436 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3440 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3441 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3444 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3445 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3446 Enter the current group and display the first article
3447 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3450 @kindex RET (Browse)
3451 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3452 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3456 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3457 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3458 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3464 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3465 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3469 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3470 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3474 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3475 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3476 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3481 @section Exiting Gnus
3482 @cindex exiting Gnus
3484 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3489 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3490 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3491 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3492 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3496 @findex gnus-group-exit
3497 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3498 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3502 @findex gnus-group-quit
3503 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3504 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3507 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3508 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3509 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3510 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3511 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3512 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3518 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3519 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3520 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3526 @section Group Topics
3529 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3530 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3531 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3532 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3533 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3534 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3538 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3539 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3550 2: alt.religion.emacs
3553 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3555 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3556 13: comp.sources.unix
3559 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3561 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3562 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3563 is a toggling command.)
3565 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3566 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3567 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3568 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3571 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3572 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3573 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3576 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3580 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3581 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3582 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3583 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3584 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3588 @node Topic Commands
3589 @subsection Topic Commands
3590 @cindex topic commands
3592 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3593 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3594 definitions slightly.
3596 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3597 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3598 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3599 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3600 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3601 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3603 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3610 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3611 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3612 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3616 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3618 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3619 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3620 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3621 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3624 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3625 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3626 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3627 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3631 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3632 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3633 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3634 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3640 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3641 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3642 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3646 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3647 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3648 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3651 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3652 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3653 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3654 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3655 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3657 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3658 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3662 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3663 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3670 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3672 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3673 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3674 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3675 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3676 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3677 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3681 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3687 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3688 Move the current group to some other topic
3689 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3690 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3694 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3695 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3699 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3700 Copy the current group to some other topic
3701 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3702 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3706 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3707 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3708 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3712 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3713 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3714 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3718 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3719 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3720 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3721 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3722 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3723 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3724 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3727 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3728 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3732 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3733 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3734 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3738 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3739 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3740 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3744 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3745 Toggle hiding empty topics
3746 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3750 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3751 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3752 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3753 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3756 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3757 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3758 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3759 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3760 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3763 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3764 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3765 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3766 expiry process (if any)
3767 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3771 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3772 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3775 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3776 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3777 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3781 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3782 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3783 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3786 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3787 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3788 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3791 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3792 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3793 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3797 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3798 @cindex group parameters
3799 @cindex topic parameters
3801 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3802 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3807 @node Topic Variables
3808 @subsection Topic Variables
3809 @cindex topic variables
3811 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3812 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3814 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3815 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3816 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3829 Number of groups in the topic.
3831 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3833 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3836 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3837 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3838 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3841 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3842 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3844 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3845 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3846 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3850 @subsection Topic Sorting
3851 @cindex topic sorting
3853 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3859 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3860 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3861 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3862 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3865 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3866 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3867 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3868 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3871 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3872 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3873 Sort the current topic by group level
3874 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3877 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3878 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3879 Sort the current topic by group score
3880 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3883 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3884 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3885 Sort the current topic by group rank
3886 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3889 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3890 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3891 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3892 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3895 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3896 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3897 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3898 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3901 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3902 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3903 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3904 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3905 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3909 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3910 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3914 @node Topic Topology
3915 @subsection Topic Topology
3916 @cindex topic topology
3919 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3926 2: alt.religion.emacs
3929 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3931 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3932 13: comp.sources.unix
3936 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3937 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3938 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3943 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3944 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3948 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3949 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3950 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3951 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3952 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3953 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3955 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3956 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3957 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3960 @node Topic Parameters
3961 @subsection Topic Parameters
3962 @cindex topic parameters
3964 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
3965 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
3966 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
3967 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
3968 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
3970 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3975 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3976 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3977 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3980 @item subscribe-level
3981 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3982 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3983 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3987 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3988 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3989 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3990 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3997 2: alt.religion.emacs
4001 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4003 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4004 13: comp.sources.unix
4009 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4010 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4011 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4012 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4013 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4014 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4016 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4017 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4018 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4019 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4020 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4022 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4023 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4024 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4025 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4026 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4027 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4028 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4029 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4032 @node Misc Group Stuff
4033 @section Misc Group Stuff
4036 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4037 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4038 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4039 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4040 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4047 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4048 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4049 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4053 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4054 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4055 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4056 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4057 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4058 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4059 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4063 @findex gnus-group-mail
4064 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4065 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4066 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4067 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4071 @findex gnus-group-news
4072 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4073 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4074 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4076 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4077 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4078 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4079 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4080 for this to work though.
4084 Variables for the group buffer:
4088 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4089 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4090 is called after the group buffer has been
4093 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4094 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4095 is called after the group buffer is
4096 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4099 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4100 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4101 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4102 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4104 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4105 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4106 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4107 whether they are empty or not.
4109 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4110 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4111 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4112 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4116 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4117 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4120 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4121 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4122 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4123 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4124 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4125 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4126 default is @code{nil}.
4130 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4131 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4136 @node Scanning New Messages
4137 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4138 @cindex new messages
4139 @cindex scanning new news
4145 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4146 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4147 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4148 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4149 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4150 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4155 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4156 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4157 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4158 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4159 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4160 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4161 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4163 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4164 @cindex activating groups
4166 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4167 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4172 @findex gnus-group-restart
4173 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4174 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4175 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4179 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4180 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4182 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4183 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4187 @node Group Information
4188 @subsection Group Information
4189 @cindex group information
4190 @cindex information on groups
4197 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4198 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4201 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4202 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4203 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4204 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4205 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4206 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4207 used for fetching the file.
4209 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4210 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4214 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4215 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4217 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4218 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4221 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4222 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4223 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4227 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4228 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4229 @cindex control message
4230 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4231 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4232 group if given a prefix argument.
4234 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4235 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4236 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4237 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4239 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4240 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4241 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4245 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4247 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4248 @cindex describing groups
4249 @cindex group description
4250 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4251 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4252 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4256 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4257 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4258 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4265 @findex gnus-version
4266 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4270 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4271 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4274 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4277 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4278 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4282 @node Group Timestamp
4283 @subsection Group Timestamp
4285 @cindex group timestamps
4287 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4288 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4289 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4292 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4295 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4297 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4298 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4301 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4302 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4305 This will result in lines looking like:
4308 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4309 0: custom 19961002T012713
4312 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4313 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4317 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4318 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4321 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4322 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4326 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4327 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4328 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4329 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4331 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4337 @subsection File Commands
4338 @cindex file commands
4344 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4345 @vindex gnus-init-file
4346 @cindex reading init file
4347 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4348 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4352 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4353 @cindex saving .newsrc
4354 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4355 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4356 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4359 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4360 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4361 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4366 @node Sieve Commands
4367 @subsection Sieve Commands
4368 @cindex group sieve commands
4370 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4371 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4372 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4373 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4374 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4376 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4377 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4378 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4379 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4380 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4381 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4382 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4383 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4384 regenerate the Sieve script.
4386 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4387 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4388 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4389 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4390 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4391 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4392 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4393 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4394 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4395 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4398 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4399 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4404 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4410 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4411 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4412 @cindex generating sieve script
4413 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4414 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4418 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4419 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4420 @cindex updating sieve script
4421 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4422 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4423 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4428 @node Summary Buffer
4429 @chapter Summary Buffer
4430 @cindex summary buffer
4432 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4433 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4435 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4436 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4438 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4441 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4442 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4443 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4444 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4445 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4446 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4447 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4448 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4449 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4450 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4451 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4452 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4453 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4454 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4455 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4456 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4457 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4458 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4459 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4460 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4461 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4462 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4463 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4464 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4465 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4466 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4467 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4468 or reselecting the current group.
4469 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4470 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4471 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4472 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4476 @node Summary Buffer Format
4477 @section Summary Buffer Format
4478 @cindex summary buffer format
4482 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4483 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4484 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4490 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4491 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4492 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4493 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4496 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4497 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4498 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4499 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4500 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4501 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4502 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4503 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4504 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4505 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4506 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4509 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4510 'mail-extract-address-components)
4513 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4514 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4515 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4516 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4519 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4520 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4522 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4523 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4524 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4525 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4526 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4528 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4529 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4530 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4531 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4532 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4533 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4535 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4537 The following format specification characters and extended format
4538 specification(s) are understood:
4544 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4545 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4547 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4548 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4549 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4551 Full @code{From} header.
4553 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4555 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4558 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4559 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4560 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4561 may be more thorough.
4563 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4566 Number of lines in the article.
4568 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4569 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4571 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4572 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4574 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4576 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4577 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4590 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4591 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4592 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4593 line-drawing glyphs.
4595 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4596 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4597 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4598 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4600 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4601 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4602 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4603 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4605 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4606 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4607 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4608 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4610 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4611 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4612 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4614 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4615 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4616 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4618 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4619 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4620 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4622 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4623 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4624 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4629 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4630 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4632 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4633 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4635 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4636 for adopted articles.
4638 One space for each thread level.
4640 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4642 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4645 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4646 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4647 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4650 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4652 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4653 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4654 default level. If the difference between
4655 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4656 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4664 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4666 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4672 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4673 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4675 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4676 article has any children.
4682 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4683 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4685 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4686 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4687 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4688 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4689 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4690 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4693 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4694 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4695 There can only be one such area.
4697 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4698 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4699 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4700 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4701 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4702 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4704 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4705 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4707 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4710 @node To From Newsgroups
4711 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4715 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4716 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4717 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4718 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4719 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4723 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4724 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4725 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4729 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4730 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4733 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4734 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4737 @findex gnus-extra-header
4738 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4739 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4740 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4743 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4747 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4748 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4749 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4750 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4751 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4752 headers are used instead.
4756 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4757 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4758 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4759 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4760 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4761 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4764 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4765 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4766 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4767 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4769 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4773 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4775 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4776 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4777 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4778 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4782 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4785 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4786 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4789 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4790 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4791 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4797 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4798 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4801 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4802 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4804 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4805 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4806 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4807 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4809 Here are the elements you can play with:
4815 Unprefixed group name.
4817 Current article number.
4819 Current article score.
4823 Number of unread articles in this group.
4825 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4828 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4829 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4830 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4831 and no unselected ones.
4833 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4834 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4836 Subject of the current article.
4838 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4840 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4842 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4844 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4846 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4848 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4852 @node Summary Highlighting
4853 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4857 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4858 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4859 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4860 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4861 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4863 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4864 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4865 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4866 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4868 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4869 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4870 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4871 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4873 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4874 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4875 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4876 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4877 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4878 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4881 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4882 ((> score default) . bold))
4884 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4885 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4889 @node Summary Maneuvering
4890 @section Summary Maneuvering
4891 @cindex summary movement
4893 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4894 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4896 None of these commands select articles.
4901 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4902 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4903 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4904 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4905 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4909 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4910 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4911 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4912 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4913 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4916 @kindex G g (Summary)
4917 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4918 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4919 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4922 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4923 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4924 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4925 to the group buffer.
4927 Variables related to summary movement:
4931 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4932 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4933 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4934 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4935 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4936 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4937 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4938 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4939 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4940 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4941 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4942 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4943 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4944 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4946 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4947 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4948 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4949 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4950 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4951 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4952 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4954 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4956 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4957 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4958 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4959 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4960 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4962 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4963 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4964 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4965 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4966 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4967 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4968 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4969 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4972 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4973 the given number of lines from the top.
4978 @node Choosing Articles
4979 @section Choosing Articles
4980 @cindex selecting articles
4983 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4984 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4988 @node Choosing Commands
4989 @subsection Choosing Commands
4991 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4992 and they all select and display an article.
4994 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4995 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4999 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5000 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5001 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5002 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5004 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5005 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5006 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5011 @kindex G n (Summary)
5012 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5013 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5014 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5019 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5020 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5021 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5026 @kindex G N (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5028 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5033 @kindex G P (Summary)
5034 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5035 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5038 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5039 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5040 Go to the next article with the same subject
5041 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5044 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5045 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5046 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5047 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5051 @kindex G f (Summary)
5053 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5054 Go to the first unread article
5055 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5059 @kindex G b (Summary)
5061 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5062 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5063 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5064 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5069 @kindex G l (Summary)
5070 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5071 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5074 @kindex G o (Summary)
5075 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5077 @cindex article history
5078 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5079 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5080 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5081 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5082 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5083 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5088 @kindex G j (Summary)
5089 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5090 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5091 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5096 @node Choosing Variables
5097 @subsection Choosing Variables
5099 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5102 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5103 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5104 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5105 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5106 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5107 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5109 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5110 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5111 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5112 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5113 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5114 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5116 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5117 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5118 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5119 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5120 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5121 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5122 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5123 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5124 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5125 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5126 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5127 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5128 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5129 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5134 @node Paging the Article
5135 @section Scrolling the Article
5136 @cindex article scrolling
5141 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5143 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5144 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5145 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5147 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5148 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5149 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5150 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5151 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5152 what is considered uninteresting with
5153 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5154 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5157 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5159 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5162 @kindex RET (Summary)
5163 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5164 Scroll the current article one line forward
5165 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5168 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5169 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5170 Scroll the current article one line backward
5171 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5175 @kindex A g (Summary)
5177 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5178 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5179 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5180 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5181 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5182 the way it came from the server.
5184 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5185 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5186 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5189 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5194 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5199 @kindex A < (Summary)
5200 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5201 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5202 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5207 @kindex A > (Summary)
5208 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5209 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5213 @kindex A s (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5216 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5217 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5221 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5222 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5227 @node Reply Followup and Post
5228 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5231 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5232 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5233 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5234 * Canceling and Superseding::
5238 @node Summary Mail Commands
5239 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5241 @cindex composing mail
5243 Commands for composing a mail message:
5249 @kindex S r (Summary)
5251 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5252 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5253 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5254 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5255 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5260 @kindex S R (Summary)
5261 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5262 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5263 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5264 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5265 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5268 @kindex S w (Summary)
5269 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5270 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5271 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5272 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5273 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5274 present, that's used instead.
5277 @kindex S W (Summary)
5278 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5279 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5280 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5281 the process/prefix convention.
5284 @kindex S v (Summary)
5285 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5286 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5287 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5288 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5289 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5290 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5293 @kindex S V (Summary)
5294 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5295 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5296 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5297 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5300 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5301 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5302 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5303 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5304 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5305 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5306 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5307 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5310 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5311 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5312 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5313 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5314 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5318 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5319 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5320 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5321 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5322 Forward the current article to some other person
5323 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5324 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5325 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5326 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5327 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5328 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5329 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5330 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5331 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5337 @kindex S m (Summary)
5338 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5339 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5340 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5341 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5342 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5347 @kindex S i (Summary)
5348 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5349 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5350 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5351 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5353 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5354 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5355 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5356 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5357 for this to work though.
5360 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5361 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5362 @cindex bouncing mail
5363 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5364 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5365 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5366 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5367 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5368 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5369 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5370 very well fail, though.
5373 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5374 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5375 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5376 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5377 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5378 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5379 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5380 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5381 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5382 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5384 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5385 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5386 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5387 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5388 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5390 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5391 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5394 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5395 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5396 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5397 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5398 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5401 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5402 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5403 @cindex crossposting
5404 @cindex excessive crossposting
5405 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5406 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5408 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5409 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5410 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5411 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5412 command understands the process/prefix convention
5413 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5417 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5418 Manual}, for more information.
5421 @node Summary Post Commands
5422 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5424 @cindex composing news
5426 Commands for posting a news article:
5432 @kindex S p (Summary)
5433 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5434 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5435 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5436 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5437 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5442 @kindex S f (Summary)
5443 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5444 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5445 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5449 @kindex S F (Summary)
5451 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5452 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5453 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5454 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5455 process/prefix convention.
5458 @kindex S n (Summary)
5459 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5460 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5461 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5464 @kindex S N (Summary)
5465 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5466 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5467 message through mail and include the original message
5468 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5469 the process/prefix convention.
5472 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5473 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5474 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5475 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5476 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5477 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5478 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5479 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5480 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5481 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5482 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5483 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5484 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5487 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5488 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5490 @cindex making digests
5491 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5492 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5493 process/prefix convention.
5496 @kindex S u (Summary)
5497 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5498 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5499 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5500 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5503 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5504 Manual}, for more information.
5507 @node Summary Message Commands
5508 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5512 @kindex S y (Summary)
5513 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5514 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5515 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5516 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5517 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5522 @node Canceling and Superseding
5523 @subsection Canceling Articles
5524 @cindex canceling articles
5525 @cindex superseding articles
5527 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5528 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5530 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5532 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5534 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5535 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5536 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5537 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5538 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5539 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5541 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5542 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5545 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5546 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5547 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5549 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5550 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5551 your original article.
5553 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5555 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5556 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5557 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5560 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5561 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5562 have posted almost the same article twice.
5564 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5565 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5566 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5567 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5568 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5569 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5570 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5571 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5572 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5573 canceled/superseded.
5575 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5577 @node Delayed Articles
5578 @section Delayed Articles
5579 @cindex delayed sending
5580 @cindex send delayed
5582 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5583 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5584 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5585 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5588 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5591 @findex gnus-delay-article
5592 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5593 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5594 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5595 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5599 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5600 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5601 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5602 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5605 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5606 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5607 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5610 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5611 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5612 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5613 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5614 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5615 that means a time tomorrow.
5618 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5619 couple of variables:
5622 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5623 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5624 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5625 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5627 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5628 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5629 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5630 formats described above.
5632 @item gnus-delay-group
5633 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5634 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5635 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5636 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5638 @item gnus-delay-header
5639 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5640 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5641 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5642 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5645 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5646 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5647 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5648 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5649 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5651 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5652 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5653 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5654 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5655 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5656 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5657 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5660 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5661 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5662 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5663 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5664 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5665 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5666 argument is ignored.
5668 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5669 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5670 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5674 @node Marking Articles
5675 @section Marking Articles
5676 @cindex article marking
5677 @cindex article ticking
5680 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5682 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5683 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5684 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5686 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5689 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5690 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5691 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5695 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5699 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5700 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5701 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5705 @node Unread Articles
5706 @subsection Unread Articles
5708 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5713 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5714 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5716 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5717 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5718 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5719 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5720 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5721 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5722 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5725 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5726 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5728 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5729 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5730 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5731 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5735 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5736 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5738 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5743 @subsection Read Articles
5744 @cindex expirable mark
5746 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5751 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5752 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5753 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5756 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5757 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5760 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5761 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5762 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5765 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5766 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5769 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5770 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5773 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5774 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5777 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5778 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5781 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5782 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5785 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5786 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5789 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5790 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5794 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5795 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5796 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5800 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5801 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5803 One more special mark, though:
5807 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5808 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5810 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5811 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5812 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5813 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5819 @subsection Other Marks
5820 @cindex process mark
5823 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5829 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5830 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5831 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5832 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5833 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5836 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5837 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5838 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5839 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5842 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5843 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5844 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5847 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5848 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5849 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5852 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5853 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5854 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5855 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5858 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5859 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5860 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5861 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5862 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5863 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5866 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5867 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5868 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5869 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5872 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5873 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5874 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5875 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5876 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5880 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5881 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5882 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5883 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5884 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5885 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5888 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5889 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5890 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5891 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5892 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5893 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5897 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5898 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5899 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5900 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5901 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5904 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5905 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5906 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5907 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5908 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5909 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5913 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5914 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5915 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5917 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5918 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5919 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5923 @subsection Setting Marks
5924 @cindex setting marks
5926 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5931 @kindex M c (Summary)
5932 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5933 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5934 @cindex mark as unread
5935 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5936 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5942 @kindex M t (Summary)
5943 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5944 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5945 @xref{Article Caching}.
5950 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5951 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5952 Mark the current article as dormant
5953 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5957 @kindex M d (Summary)
5959 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5960 Mark the current article as read
5961 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5965 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5966 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5967 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5972 @kindex M k (Summary)
5973 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5974 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5975 and then select the next unread article
5976 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5980 @kindex M K (Summary)
5981 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5982 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5983 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5984 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5987 @kindex M C (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5989 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5990 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5993 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5994 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5995 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5996 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5999 @kindex M H (Summary)
6000 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6001 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6002 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6005 @kindex M h (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6007 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6008 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6011 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6013 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6014 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6017 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6018 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6019 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6020 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6024 @kindex M e (Summary)
6026 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6027 Mark the current article as expirable
6028 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6031 @kindex M b (Summary)
6032 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6033 Set a bookmark in the current article
6034 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6037 @kindex M B (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6039 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6040 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6043 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6044 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6045 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6046 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6049 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6050 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6051 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6052 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6055 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6057 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6058 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6059 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6062 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6063 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6064 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6065 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6066 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6067 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6068 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6069 The default is @code{t}.
6072 @node Generic Marking Commands
6073 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6075 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6076 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6077 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6078 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6079 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6082 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6083 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6086 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6087 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6088 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6089 to list in this manual.
6091 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6092 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6093 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6094 article, you could say something like:
6098 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6099 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6100 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6108 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6109 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6113 @node Setting Process Marks
6114 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6115 @cindex setting process marks
6117 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6118 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6119 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6120 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6121 commands into the cache. For more information,
6122 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6129 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6130 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6131 Mark the current article with the process mark
6132 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6133 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6137 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6138 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6139 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6140 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6143 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6144 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6145 Remove the process mark from all articles
6146 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6149 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6150 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6151 Invert the list of process marked articles
6152 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6155 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6156 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6157 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6158 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6161 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6162 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6163 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6164 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6167 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6168 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6169 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6172 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6173 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6174 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6177 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6178 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6179 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6180 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6183 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6184 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6185 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6186 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6189 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6190 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6191 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6192 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6195 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6196 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6197 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6200 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6201 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6202 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6203 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6206 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6207 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6208 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6211 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6212 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6213 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6214 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6217 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6218 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6219 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6220 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6223 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6224 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6225 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6226 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6229 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6231 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6232 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6236 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6237 set process marks based on article body contents.
6244 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6245 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6246 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6249 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6250 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6251 additional articles.
6257 @kindex / / (Summary)
6258 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6259 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6260 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6264 @kindex / a (Summary)
6265 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6266 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6267 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6271 @kindex / x (Summary)
6272 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6273 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6274 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6275 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6280 @kindex / u (Summary)
6282 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6283 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6284 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6285 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6286 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6289 @kindex / m (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6291 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6292 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6295 @kindex / t (Summary)
6296 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6297 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6298 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6299 articles younger than that number of days.
6302 @kindex / n (Summary)
6303 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6304 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6305 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6306 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6309 @kindex / w (Summary)
6310 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6311 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6312 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6316 @kindex / . (Summary)
6317 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6318 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6319 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6322 @kindex / v (Summary)
6323 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6324 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6325 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6328 @kindex / p (Summary)
6329 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6330 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6331 group parameter predicate
6332 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6333 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6337 @kindex M S (Summary)
6338 @kindex / E (Summary)
6339 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6340 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6341 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6344 @kindex / D (Summary)
6345 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6346 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6347 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6350 @kindex / * (Summary)
6351 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6352 Include all cached articles in the limit
6353 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6356 @kindex / d (Summary)
6357 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6358 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6359 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6362 @kindex / M (Summary)
6363 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6364 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6367 @kindex / T (Summary)
6368 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6369 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6372 @kindex / c (Summary)
6373 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6374 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6375 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6378 @kindex / C (Summary)
6379 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6380 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6381 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6382 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6385 @kindex / N (Summary)
6386 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6387 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6388 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6391 @kindex / o (Summary)
6392 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6393 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6394 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6402 @cindex article threading
6404 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6405 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6406 hierarchical fashion.
6408 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6409 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6410 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6411 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6412 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6413 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6414 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6416 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6420 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6423 A tree-like article structure.
6426 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6429 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6430 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6431 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6432 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6433 called loose threads.
6435 @item thread gathering
6436 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6438 @item sparse threads
6439 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6440 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6446 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6447 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6451 @node Customizing Threading
6452 @subsection Customizing Threading
6453 @cindex customizing threading
6456 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6457 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6458 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6459 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6464 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6467 @cindex loose threads
6470 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6471 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6472 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6473 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6474 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6475 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6477 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6478 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6479 There are four possible values:
6483 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6484 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6485 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6486 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6487 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6492 @cindex adopting articles
6497 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6498 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6499 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6500 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6503 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6504 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6505 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6506 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6507 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6508 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6509 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6510 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6511 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6512 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6515 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6516 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6517 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6521 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6522 display them after one another.
6525 Don't gather loose threads.
6528 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6529 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6530 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6531 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6532 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6533 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6534 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6535 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6536 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6537 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6538 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6540 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6541 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6542 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6545 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6546 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6547 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6548 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6549 simplification is used.
6551 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6552 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6553 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6554 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6556 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6558 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6564 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6565 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6566 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6567 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6572 (mapconcat 'identity
6573 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6575 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6578 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6581 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6582 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6583 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6584 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6585 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6586 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6588 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6591 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6592 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6593 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6595 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6596 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6599 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6600 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6601 Remove excessive whitespace.
6603 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6604 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6605 Remove all whitespace.
6608 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6611 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6612 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6613 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6614 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6615 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6616 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6617 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6618 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6620 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6621 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6622 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6623 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6624 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6625 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6626 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6627 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6628 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6632 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6633 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6634 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6635 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6637 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6638 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6639 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6642 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6646 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6647 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6653 @node Filling In Threads
6654 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6657 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6658 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6659 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6660 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6661 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6662 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6663 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6664 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6665 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6666 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6667 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6668 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6671 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6672 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6673 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6675 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6676 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6677 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6680 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6681 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6682 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6683 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6684 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6685 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6686 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6687 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6688 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6689 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6690 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6691 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6692 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6693 @code{nil} by default.
6695 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6696 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6697 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6698 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6699 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6700 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6701 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6703 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6704 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6705 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6710 @node More Threading
6711 @subsubsection More Threading
6714 @item gnus-show-threads
6715 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6716 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6717 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6718 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6719 slower and more awkward.
6721 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6722 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6723 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6726 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6727 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6728 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6733 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6734 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6735 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6738 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6739 unread, but you get my drift.)
6742 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6743 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6744 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6745 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6746 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6747 threads are expunged.
6749 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6750 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6751 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6754 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6755 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6756 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6757 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6758 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6759 result in a new thread.
6761 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6762 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6763 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6766 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6767 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6768 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6769 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6770 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6771 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6772 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6773 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6774 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6775 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6776 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6781 @node Low-Level Threading
6782 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6786 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6787 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6788 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6790 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6791 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6792 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6793 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6794 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6795 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6796 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6797 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6798 meaningful. Here's one example:
6801 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6803 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6804 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6806 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6808 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6815 @node Thread Commands
6816 @subsection Thread Commands
6817 @cindex thread commands
6823 @kindex T k (Summary)
6824 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6825 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6826 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6827 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6828 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6833 @kindex T l (Summary)
6834 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6835 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6836 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6837 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6840 @kindex T i (Summary)
6841 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6842 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6843 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6846 @kindex T # (Summary)
6847 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6848 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6849 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6852 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6853 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6854 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6855 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6858 @kindex T T (Summary)
6859 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6860 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6863 @kindex T s (Summary)
6864 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6865 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6866 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6869 @kindex T h (Summary)
6870 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6871 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6874 @kindex T S (Summary)
6875 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6876 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6879 @kindex T H (Summary)
6880 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6881 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6884 @kindex T t (Summary)
6885 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6886 Re-thread the current article's thread
6887 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6888 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6891 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6892 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6893 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6894 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6898 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6899 understand the numeric prefix.
6904 @kindex T n (Summary)
6906 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6908 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6909 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6910 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6913 @kindex T p (Summary)
6915 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6917 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6918 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6919 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6922 @kindex T d (Summary)
6923 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6924 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6927 @kindex T u (Summary)
6928 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6929 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6932 @kindex T o (Summary)
6933 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6934 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6937 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6938 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6939 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6940 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6941 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6942 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6943 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6944 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6945 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6946 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6947 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6948 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6952 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6953 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6955 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6956 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6957 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6958 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6959 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6960 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6961 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6962 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6963 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
6964 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
6965 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6966 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6967 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6968 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6970 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6971 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6972 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6973 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6974 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6975 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6976 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6977 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6979 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6980 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6981 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6983 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6984 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6985 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6986 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6987 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6988 ascending article order.
6990 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6991 by number, you could do something like:
6994 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6995 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6996 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6997 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7000 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7001 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7002 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7003 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7004 which the articles arrived.
7006 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7010 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7012 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
7013 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7016 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7017 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7018 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7019 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7022 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7023 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7024 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7025 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7026 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7027 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7028 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7029 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7030 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7031 variable. It is very similar to the
7032 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7033 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7034 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7035 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7036 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7037 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7038 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7040 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7044 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7045 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7046 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7051 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7052 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7053 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7054 @cindex article pre-fetch
7057 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7058 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7059 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7060 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7061 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7063 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7064 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7066 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7067 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7068 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7069 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7070 connection is blocked.
7072 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7073 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7074 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7075 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7077 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7078 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7079 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7080 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7083 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7086 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7087 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7088 happen automatically.
7090 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7091 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7092 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7093 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7094 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7095 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7096 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7098 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7099 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7100 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7101 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7102 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7103 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7104 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7105 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7106 article data structure as the only parameter.
7108 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7109 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7112 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7113 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7114 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7115 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7118 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7121 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7122 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7123 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7125 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7126 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7127 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7128 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7132 Remove articles when they are read.
7135 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7138 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7140 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7141 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7142 @c from the next group.
7145 @node Article Caching
7146 @section Article Caching
7147 @cindex article caching
7150 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7151 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7152 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7153 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7154 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7156 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7158 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7159 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7160 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7161 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7162 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7163 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7164 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7165 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7167 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7168 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7169 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7170 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7171 as dormant, and don't worry.
7173 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7175 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7176 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7177 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7178 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7179 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7180 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7181 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7182 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7183 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7184 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7186 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7187 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7188 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7189 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7190 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7191 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7192 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7193 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7194 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7195 not then be downloaded by this command.
7197 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7198 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7199 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7200 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7201 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7202 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7204 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7205 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7206 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7207 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7208 variables, the group is not cached.
7210 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7211 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7212 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7213 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7214 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7215 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7216 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7217 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7218 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7221 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7222 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7223 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7224 where, isn't that cool?
7226 @node Persistent Articles
7227 @section Persistent Articles
7228 @cindex persistent articles
7230 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7231 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7232 useful in my opinion.
7234 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7235 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7236 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7237 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7238 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7239 the expiry going on at the news server.
7241 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7242 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7243 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7249 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7250 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7253 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7254 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7255 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7256 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7260 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7262 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7263 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7264 interested in persistent articles:
7267 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7271 @node Article Backlog
7272 @section Article Backlog
7274 @cindex article backlog
7276 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7277 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7278 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7279 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7280 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7281 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7282 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7283 increase memory usage some.
7285 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7286 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7287 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7288 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7289 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7290 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7291 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7293 The default value is 20.
7296 @node Saving Articles
7297 @section Saving Articles
7298 @cindex saving articles
7300 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7301 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7302 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7303 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7304 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7306 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7307 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7308 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7310 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7311 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7312 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7314 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7315 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7316 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7317 deleted before saving.
7323 @kindex O o (Summary)
7325 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7326 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7327 Save the current article using the default article saver
7328 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7331 @kindex O m (Summary)
7332 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7333 Save the current article in mail format
7334 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7337 @kindex O r (Summary)
7338 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7339 Save the current article in Rmail format
7340 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7343 @kindex O f (Summary)
7344 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7345 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7346 Save the current article in plain file format
7347 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7350 @kindex O F (Summary)
7351 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7352 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7353 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7356 @kindex O b (Summary)
7357 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7358 Save the current article body in plain file format
7359 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7362 @kindex O h (Summary)
7363 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7364 Save the current article in mh folder format
7365 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7368 @kindex O v (Summary)
7369 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7370 Save the current article in a VM folder
7371 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7375 @kindex O p (Summary)
7377 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7378 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7379 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7380 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7381 complete headers in the piped output.
7384 @kindex O P (Summary)
7385 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7386 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7387 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7388 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7389 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7390 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7391 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7395 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7396 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7397 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7398 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7399 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7400 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7401 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7402 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7403 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7404 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7405 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7406 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7410 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7411 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7412 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7413 functions below, or you can create your own.
7417 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7418 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7419 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7420 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7421 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7422 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7423 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7425 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7426 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7427 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7428 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7429 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7430 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7432 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7433 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7434 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7435 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7436 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7437 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7438 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7440 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7441 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7442 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7443 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7444 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7445 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7447 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7448 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7449 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7450 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7451 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7453 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7454 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7455 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7456 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7457 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7460 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7461 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7462 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7463 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7464 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7466 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7467 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7468 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7469 reader to use this setting.
7472 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7473 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7474 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7475 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7478 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7479 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7480 available functions that generate names:
7484 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7485 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7486 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7488 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7489 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7490 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7492 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7493 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7494 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7496 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7497 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7498 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7500 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7501 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7502 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7505 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7506 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7507 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7508 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7509 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7513 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7514 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7515 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7516 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7519 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7520 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7521 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7522 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7523 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7524 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7525 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7526 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7527 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7529 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7530 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7531 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7532 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7534 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7535 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7536 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7539 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7540 lots of mail groups called things like
7541 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7542 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7543 following will do just that:
7546 (defun my-save-name (group)
7547 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7548 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7550 (setq gnus-split-methods
7551 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7556 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7557 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7558 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7559 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7560 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7561 all the files in the top level directory
7562 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7563 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7564 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7565 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7567 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7568 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7569 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7570 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7571 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7574 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7578 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7579 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7580 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7583 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7584 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7585 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7586 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7589 @node Decoding Articles
7590 @section Decoding Articles
7591 @cindex decoding articles
7593 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7594 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7597 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7598 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7599 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7600 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7601 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7602 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7606 @cindex article series
7607 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7608 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7609 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7610 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7611 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7613 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7614 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7615 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7617 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7618 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7619 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7621 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7622 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7623 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7626 @node Uuencoded Articles
7627 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7629 @cindex uuencoded articles
7634 @kindex X u (Summary)
7635 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7636 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7637 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7640 @kindex X U (Summary)
7641 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7642 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7643 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7646 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7647 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7648 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7651 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7652 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7653 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7654 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7658 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7659 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7660 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7661 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7662 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7664 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7665 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7666 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7667 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7670 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7671 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7672 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7673 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7674 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7675 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7679 @node Shell Archives
7680 @subsection Shell Archives
7682 @cindex shell archives
7683 @cindex shared articles
7685 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7686 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7687 some commands to deal with these:
7692 @kindex X s (Summary)
7693 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7694 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7697 @kindex X S (Summary)
7698 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7699 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7702 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7703 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7704 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7707 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7708 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7709 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7710 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7714 @node PostScript Files
7715 @subsection PostScript Files
7721 @kindex X p (Summary)
7722 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7723 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7726 @kindex X P (Summary)
7727 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7728 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7729 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7732 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7733 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7734 View the current PostScript series
7735 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7738 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7739 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7740 View and save the current PostScript series
7741 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7746 @subsection Other Files
7750 @kindex X o (Summary)
7751 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7752 Save the current series
7753 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7756 @kindex X b (Summary)
7757 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7758 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7759 doesn't really work yet.
7763 @node Decoding Variables
7764 @subsection Decoding Variables
7766 Adjective, not verb.
7769 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7770 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7771 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7775 @node Rule Variables
7776 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7777 @cindex rule variables
7779 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7780 variables are of the form
7783 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7790 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7791 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7793 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7794 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7797 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7798 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7801 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7802 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7803 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7804 user and default view rules.
7806 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7807 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7808 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7813 @node Other Decode Variables
7814 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7817 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7819 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7820 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7821 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7822 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7823 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7827 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7828 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7831 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7832 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7833 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7836 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7837 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7838 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7839 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7840 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7843 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7844 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7845 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7847 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7848 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7849 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7850 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7851 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7854 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7855 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7856 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7858 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7859 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7860 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7861 looking for files to display.
7863 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7864 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7865 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7868 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7869 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7870 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7873 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7874 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7875 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7878 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7879 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7880 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7883 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7884 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7885 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7886 decoded articles as unread.
7888 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7889 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7890 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7891 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7893 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7894 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7895 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7897 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7898 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7900 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7901 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7902 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7903 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7905 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7906 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7907 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7908 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7909 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7910 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7911 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7912 simply dropped them.
7917 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7918 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7922 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7923 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7924 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7925 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7926 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7927 for you when you post the article.
7929 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7930 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7931 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7932 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7934 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7935 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7936 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7937 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7938 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7939 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7940 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7942 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7943 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7944 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7945 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7946 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7947 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7948 Default is @code{t}.
7954 @subsection Viewing Files
7955 @cindex viewing files
7956 @cindex pseudo-articles
7958 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7959 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7960 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7961 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7962 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7963 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7964 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7966 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7967 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7968 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7969 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7971 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7972 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7973 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7975 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7976 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7977 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7978 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7979 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7981 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7982 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7983 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7984 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7985 a list of parameters to that command.
7987 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7988 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7989 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7991 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7992 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7993 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7996 @node Article Treatment
7997 @section Article Treatment
7999 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8000 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8001 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8002 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8003 these articles easier.
8006 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8007 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8008 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8009 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8010 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8011 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8012 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8013 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8014 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8015 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8016 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8020 @node Article Highlighting
8021 @subsection Article Highlighting
8022 @cindex highlighting
8024 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8025 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8030 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8031 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8032 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8033 Do much highlighting of the current article
8034 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8035 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8038 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8039 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8040 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8041 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8042 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8043 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8044 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8045 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8046 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8047 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8048 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8049 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8052 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8053 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8054 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8056 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8059 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8061 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8062 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8063 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8065 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8066 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8067 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8069 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8070 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8071 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8072 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8073 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8074 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8076 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8077 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8078 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8080 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8081 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8082 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8084 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8085 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8086 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8087 that it's a citation.
8089 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8090 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8091 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8093 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8094 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8095 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8097 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8098 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8099 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8100 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8106 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8107 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8108 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8109 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8110 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8111 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8112 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8113 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8118 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8121 @node Article Fontisizing
8122 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8124 @cindex article emphasis
8126 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8127 @kindex W e (Summary)
8128 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8129 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8130 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8131 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8133 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8134 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8135 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8136 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8137 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8138 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8139 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8140 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8144 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8145 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8146 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8155 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8156 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8157 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8158 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8159 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8160 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8161 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8162 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8163 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8164 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8165 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8166 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8167 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8169 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8170 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8171 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8175 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8178 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8180 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8181 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8182 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8183 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8185 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8188 @node Article Hiding
8189 @subsection Article Hiding
8190 @cindex article hiding
8192 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8193 too much cruft in most articles.
8198 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8199 @findex gnus-article-hide
8200 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8201 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8202 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8205 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8206 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8207 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8211 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8212 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8213 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8214 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8217 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8218 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8219 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8223 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8224 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8225 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8226 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8227 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8228 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8229 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8230 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8234 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8235 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8236 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8237 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8242 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8243 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8244 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8245 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8248 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8249 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8250 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8251 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8254 @cindex stripping advertisements
8255 @cindex advertisements
8256 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8257 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8258 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8259 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8260 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8261 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8262 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8263 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8264 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8265 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8268 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8269 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8270 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8274 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8275 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8276 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8277 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8278 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8279 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8280 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8281 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8282 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8283 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8284 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8287 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8288 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8294 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8295 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8296 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8297 customizing the hiding:
8301 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8302 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8303 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8304 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8305 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8306 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8307 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8312 Starting point of the hidden text.
8314 Ending point of the hidden text.
8316 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8318 Number of lines of hidden text.
8321 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8322 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8323 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8324 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8325 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8330 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8331 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8333 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8334 following two variables:
8337 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8338 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8339 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8340 50), hide the cited text.
8342 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8343 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8344 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8349 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8350 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8351 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8352 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8353 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8354 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8358 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8359 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8360 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8362 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8363 citation customization.
8365 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8369 @node Article Washing
8370 @subsection Article Washing
8372 @cindex article washing
8374 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8375 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8377 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8378 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8381 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8382 articles by default.
8387 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8388 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8392 Force redisplaying of the current article
8393 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8394 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8395 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8396 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8399 @kindex W l (Summary)
8400 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8401 Remove page breaks from the current article
8402 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8406 @kindex W r (Summary)
8407 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8408 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8409 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8410 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8411 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8412 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8414 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8415 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8416 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8417 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8420 @kindex W m (Summary)
8421 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8422 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8426 @kindex W t (Summary)
8428 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8429 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8430 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8433 @kindex W v (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8435 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8436 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8439 @kindex W o (Summary)
8440 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8441 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8444 @kindex W d (Summary)
8445 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8446 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8448 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8450 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8451 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8452 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8453 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8456 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8457 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8458 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8459 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8462 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8463 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8464 @cindex Outlook Express
8465 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8466 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8467 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8470 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8471 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8472 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8473 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8474 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8475 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8476 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8477 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8478 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8479 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8482 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8483 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8484 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8485 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8488 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8489 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8490 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8491 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8494 @kindex W w (Summary)
8495 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8496 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8498 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8502 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8503 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8504 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8507 @kindex W C (Summary)
8508 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8509 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8510 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8513 @kindex W c (Summary)
8514 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8515 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8516 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8517 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8518 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8521 @kindex W q (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8523 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8524 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8525 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8526 makes strings like @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which
8527 doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually done
8528 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8529 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8530 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8533 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8534 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8535 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8536 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8537 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8538 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8539 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8540 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8543 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8544 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8545 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8546 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8547 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8550 @kindex W u (Summary)
8551 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8552 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8553 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8554 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8555 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8558 @kindex W h (Summary)
8559 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8560 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8561 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8562 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8564 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8566 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8567 The default is to use the function specified by
8568 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8569 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8570 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8571 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8579 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8582 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8585 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8588 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8593 @kindex W b (Summary)
8594 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8595 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8596 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8599 @kindex W B (Summary)
8600 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8601 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8602 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8605 @kindex W p (Summary)
8606 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8607 Verify a signed control message
8608 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8609 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8610 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8611 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8612 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8613 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8616 @kindex W s (Summary)
8617 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8618 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8619 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8620 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8623 @kindex W a (Summary)
8624 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8625 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8626 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8629 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8630 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8631 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8632 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8635 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8636 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8637 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8638 lines with a single empty line.
8639 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8642 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8643 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8644 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8645 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8648 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8649 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8650 Do all the three commands above
8651 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8654 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8655 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8656 Remove all blank lines
8657 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8660 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8661 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8662 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8663 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8666 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8667 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8668 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8669 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8673 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8676 @node Article Header
8677 @subsection Article Header
8679 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8684 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8685 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8686 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8689 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8690 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8691 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8692 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8695 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8696 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8697 Fold all the message headers
8698 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8701 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8702 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8703 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8704 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8709 @node Article Buttons
8710 @subsection Article Buttons
8713 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8714 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8715 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8716 button on these references.
8718 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8719 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8720 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8721 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8722 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8726 @item gnus-button-alist
8727 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8728 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8731 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8737 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8738 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8739 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8740 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8741 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8744 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8745 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8746 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8749 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8750 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8751 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8752 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8753 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8755 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8758 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8761 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8762 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8766 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8769 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8772 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8773 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8774 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8775 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8776 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8779 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8782 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8785 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8788 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8789 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8791 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8793 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8794 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8795 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8796 default values of the variables above.
8798 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8800 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8801 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8802 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8803 argument with a string naming the man page.
8805 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8807 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8808 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8809 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8811 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8812 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8813 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8814 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8815 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8816 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8817 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8818 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8819 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8820 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8821 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8822 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8824 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8825 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8826 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8827 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8828 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8831 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8832 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8833 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8834 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8836 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8838 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8839 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8840 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8841 argument, the string naming the URL.
8844 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8845 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8846 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8850 @item gnus-article-button-face
8851 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8852 Face used on buttons.
8854 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8855 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8856 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8860 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8863 @node Article Button Levels
8864 @subsection Article button levels
8865 @cindex button levels
8866 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8867 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8868 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8869 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8870 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8871 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8872 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8873 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8876 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8877 (setq gnus-parameters
8878 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8879 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8880 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8885 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8886 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8887 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8888 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8889 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8890 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8892 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8893 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8894 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8895 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8896 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8897 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8898 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8899 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8900 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8901 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8902 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8903 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8904 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8906 @item gnus-button-man-level
8907 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8908 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8909 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8911 @item gnus-button-message-level
8912 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8913 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8914 Related variables and functions include
8915 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8916 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8917 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8918 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8920 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8921 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8922 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8923 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8924 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8925 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8926 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8932 @subsection Article Date
8934 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8935 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8936 when the article was sent.
8941 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8942 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8943 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8944 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8947 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8948 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8950 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8951 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8954 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8955 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8956 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8959 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8960 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8961 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8962 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8965 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8966 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8967 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8968 @findex format-time-string
8969 Display the date using a user-defined format
8970 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8971 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8972 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8973 for a list of possible format specs.
8976 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8977 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8978 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8979 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8980 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8981 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8984 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8987 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8988 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8989 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8992 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8993 into wonderful absurdities.
8995 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8998 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9001 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9002 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9006 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9007 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9008 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9009 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9010 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9011 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9012 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9016 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9017 preferred format automatically.
9020 @node Article Display
9021 @subsection Article Display
9026 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9027 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9029 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9030 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9032 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9033 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9035 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9036 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9038 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9039 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9041 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9046 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9047 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9048 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9049 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9052 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9053 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9054 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9055 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9058 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9059 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9060 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9063 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9064 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9065 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9068 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9069 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9070 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9071 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9074 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9075 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9076 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9077 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9080 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9081 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9082 Remove all images from the article buffer
9083 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9089 @node Article Signature
9090 @subsection Article Signature
9092 @cindex article signature
9094 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9095 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9096 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9097 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9098 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9099 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9100 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9101 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9102 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9105 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9106 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9107 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9108 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9109 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9110 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9111 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9112 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9115 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9118 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9119 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9120 signature when displaying articles.
9124 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9127 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9130 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9131 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9133 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9134 in question is not a signature.
9137 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9138 listed above. Here's an example:
9141 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9142 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9145 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9146 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9147 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9148 signature after all.
9151 @node Article Miscellanea
9152 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9156 @kindex A t (Summary)
9157 @findex gnus-article-babel
9158 Translate the article from one language to another
9159 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9165 @section MIME Commands
9166 @cindex MIME decoding
9168 @cindex viewing attachments
9170 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9171 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9177 @kindex K v (Summary)
9178 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9181 @kindex K o (Summary)
9182 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9185 @kindex K c (Summary)
9186 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9189 @kindex K e (Summary)
9190 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9193 @kindex K i (Summary)
9194 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9197 @kindex K | (Summary)
9198 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9201 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9206 @kindex K b (Summary)
9207 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9208 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9212 @kindex K m (Summary)
9213 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9214 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9215 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9216 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9217 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9220 @kindex X m (Summary)
9221 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9222 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9223 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9224 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9227 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9228 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9229 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9230 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9233 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9234 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9235 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9236 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9239 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9240 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9241 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9242 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9244 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9245 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9246 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9247 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9248 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9249 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9252 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9253 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9254 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9255 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9262 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9263 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9264 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9265 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9268 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9271 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9275 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9276 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9277 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9278 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9279 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9280 default is @code{nil}.
9282 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9283 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9284 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9285 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9286 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9287 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9288 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9290 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9291 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9292 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9293 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9294 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9295 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9296 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9297 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9299 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9300 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9301 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9302 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9303 displayed. This variable overrides
9304 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9305 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9308 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9309 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9310 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9312 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9313 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9314 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9315 default value is @code{nil}.
9317 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9318 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9319 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9320 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9321 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9322 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9323 save all jpegs into some directory).
9325 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9328 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9329 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9331 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9332 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9333 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9334 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9335 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9338 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9339 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9340 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9342 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9343 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9344 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9345 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9347 Ready-made functions include@*
9348 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9349 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9350 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9351 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9352 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9353 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9354 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9355 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9356 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9357 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9358 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9359 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9361 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9362 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9364 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9365 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9366 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9369 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9370 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9371 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9372 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9376 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9385 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9386 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9387 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9388 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9389 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9390 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9391 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9393 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9394 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9395 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9396 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9398 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9399 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9400 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9401 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9402 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9403 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9404 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9405 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9406 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9408 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9409 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9410 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9411 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9412 quoted-printable header encoding.
9414 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9415 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9416 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9420 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9423 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9424 means encode all charsets),
9426 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9427 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9428 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9435 @cindex coding system aliases
9436 @cindex preferred charset
9438 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9440 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9441 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9444 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9445 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9448 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9449 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9451 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9454 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9457 This will almost do the right thing.
9459 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9463 (codepage-setup 1251)
9464 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9468 @node Article Commands
9469 @section Article Commands
9476 @kindex A P (Summary)
9477 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9478 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9479 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9480 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9481 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9482 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9487 @node Summary Sorting
9488 @section Summary Sorting
9489 @cindex summary sorting
9491 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9492 can't really see why you'd want that.
9497 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9498 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9499 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9502 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9503 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9504 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9507 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9508 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9509 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9512 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9513 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9514 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9517 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9518 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9519 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9522 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9523 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9524 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9527 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9528 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9529 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9532 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9533 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9534 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9537 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9538 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9539 Sort using the default sorting method
9540 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9543 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9544 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9545 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9546 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9547 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9551 @node Finding the Parent
9552 @section Finding the Parent
9553 @cindex parent articles
9554 @cindex referring articles
9559 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9560 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9561 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9562 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9563 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9564 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9565 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9566 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9567 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9569 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9570 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9571 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9572 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9573 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9577 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9578 @kindex A R (Summary)
9579 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9580 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9583 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9584 @kindex A T (Summary)
9585 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9586 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9587 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9588 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9589 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9590 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9591 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9593 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9594 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9595 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9596 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9597 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9598 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9601 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9602 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9604 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9605 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9606 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9607 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9608 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9609 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9610 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9613 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9614 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9615 by giving this command a prefix.
9617 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9618 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9619 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9620 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9621 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9622 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9625 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9626 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9627 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9630 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9631 then ask Google if that fails:
9634 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9636 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9639 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
9640 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9641 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9642 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9643 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9644 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9645 support this at all.
9648 @node Alternative Approaches
9649 @section Alternative Approaches
9651 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9652 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9655 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9656 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9661 @subsection Pick and Read
9662 @cindex pick and read
9664 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9665 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9666 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9667 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9669 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9670 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9671 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9672 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9673 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9674 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9676 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9681 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9682 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9683 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9684 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9685 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9686 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9687 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9688 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9691 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9692 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9693 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9694 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9698 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9699 Unpick the thread or article
9700 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9701 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9702 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9703 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9704 the thread or article at that line.
9708 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9709 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9710 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9711 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9712 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9713 will still be visible when you are reading.
9717 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9718 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9719 which is mapped to the same function
9720 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9722 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9725 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9728 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9729 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9731 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9732 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9733 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9735 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9736 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9737 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9738 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9739 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9740 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9741 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9745 @subsection Binary Groups
9746 @cindex binary groups
9748 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9749 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9750 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9751 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9752 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9753 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9754 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9757 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9758 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9759 command, when you have turned on this mode
9760 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9762 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9763 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9767 @section Tree Display
9770 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9771 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9772 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9773 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9776 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9779 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9780 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9781 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9783 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9784 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9785 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9786 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9787 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9789 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9790 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9791 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9792 default is @code{modeline}.
9794 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9795 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9796 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9797 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9798 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9799 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9800 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9806 The name of the poster.
9808 The @code{From} header.
9810 The number of the article.
9812 The opening bracket.
9814 The closing bracket.
9819 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9821 Variables related to the display are:
9824 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9825 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9826 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9827 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9829 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9830 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9831 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9833 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9835 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9836 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9837 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9838 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9842 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9843 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9844 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9845 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9846 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9847 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9848 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9849 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9850 other windows displayed next to it.
9852 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9856 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9857 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9860 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9861 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9862 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9863 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9864 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9865 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9866 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9870 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9873 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9883 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9888 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9889 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9891 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9893 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9899 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9900 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9901 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9904 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9905 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9906 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9907 (gnus-add-configuration
9911 (summary 0.75 point)
9916 @xref{Window Layout}.
9919 @node Mail Group Commands
9920 @section Mail Group Commands
9921 @cindex mail group commands
9923 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9924 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9926 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9927 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9932 @kindex B e (Summary)
9933 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9934 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9935 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9936 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9937 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9940 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9941 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9942 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9943 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9944 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9945 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9948 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9949 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9950 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9951 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9952 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9953 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9956 @kindex B m (Summary)
9958 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9959 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9960 Move the article from one mail group to another
9961 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9962 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9965 @kindex B c (Summary)
9967 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9968 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9969 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9970 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9971 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9974 @kindex B B (Summary)
9975 @cindex crosspost mail
9976 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9977 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9978 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9979 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9980 be properly updated.
9983 @kindex B i (Summary)
9984 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9985 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9986 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9987 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9990 @kindex B I (Summary)
9991 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9992 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9993 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9994 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9997 @kindex B r (Summary)
9998 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9999 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10000 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10001 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10002 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10003 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10004 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10005 (which is the default).
10009 @kindex B w (Summary)
10010 @kindex e (Summary)
10011 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10012 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10013 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10014 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10015 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10016 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10017 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10020 @kindex B q (Summary)
10021 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10022 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10023 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10024 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10027 @kindex B t (Summary)
10028 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10029 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10030 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10033 @kindex B p (Summary)
10034 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10035 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10036 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10037 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10038 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10039 article from your news server (or rather, from
10040 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10041 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10042 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10043 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10044 just not have arrived yet.
10047 @kindex K E (Summary)
10048 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10049 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10050 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10051 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10052 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10056 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10057 @cindex moving articles
10058 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10059 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10060 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10061 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10062 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10063 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10064 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10067 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10068 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10069 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10070 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10074 @node Various Summary Stuff
10075 @section Various Summary Stuff
10078 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10079 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10080 * Summary Generation Commands::
10081 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10085 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10086 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10087 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10088 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10089 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10090 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10092 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10093 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10094 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10097 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10098 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10099 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10101 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10102 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10103 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10104 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10105 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10106 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10109 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10110 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10111 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10112 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10113 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10115 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10116 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10117 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10120 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10121 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10122 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10123 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10124 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10125 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10126 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10127 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10128 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10129 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10131 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10132 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10133 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10134 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10135 list of articles to be selected.
10137 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10138 the list in one particular group:
10141 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10142 (if (string= group "some.group")
10143 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10147 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10148 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10149 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10150 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10151 @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary buffer is
10152 active. These variables can be used to set variables in the group
10153 parameters while still allowing them to affect operations done in
10154 other buffers. For example:
10157 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10158 '(message-use-followup-to
10159 (gnus-visible-headers .
10160 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10166 @node Summary Group Information
10167 @subsection Summary Group Information
10172 @kindex H f (Summary)
10173 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10174 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10175 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10176 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10177 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10178 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10179 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10180 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10181 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10184 @kindex H d (Summary)
10185 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10186 Give a brief description of the current group
10187 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10188 rereading the description from the server.
10191 @kindex H h (Summary)
10192 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10193 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10194 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10197 @kindex H i (Summary)
10198 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10199 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10203 @node Searching for Articles
10204 @subsection Searching for Articles
10209 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10210 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10211 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10212 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10215 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10217 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10218 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10221 @kindex & (Summary)
10222 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10223 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10224 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10225 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10226 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10227 search backward instead.
10229 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10230 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10233 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10234 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10235 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10236 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10239 @node Summary Generation Commands
10240 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10245 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10246 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10247 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10250 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10251 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10252 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10253 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10256 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10257 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10258 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10259 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10264 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10265 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10271 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10272 @kindex A D (Summary)
10273 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10274 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10275 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10276 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10277 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10278 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10279 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10280 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10284 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10285 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10286 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10287 several documents into one biiig group
10288 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10289 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10290 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10291 command understands the process/prefix convention
10292 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10295 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10296 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10297 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10298 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10299 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10300 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10303 @kindex = (Summary)
10304 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10305 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10306 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10309 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10310 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10311 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10312 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10315 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10316 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10317 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10318 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10323 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10324 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10325 @cindex summary exit
10326 @cindex exiting groups
10328 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10329 group and return you to the group buffer.
10336 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10337 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10338 @kindex q (Summary)
10339 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10340 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10341 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10342 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10343 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10344 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10345 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10346 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10347 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10348 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10349 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10350 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10354 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10355 @kindex Q (Summary)
10356 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10357 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10358 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10362 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10363 @kindex c (Summary)
10364 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10365 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10366 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10367 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10370 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10371 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10372 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10373 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10376 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10377 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10378 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10379 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10383 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10384 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10385 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10386 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10387 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10388 all articles, both read and unread.
10392 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10393 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10394 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10395 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10396 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10397 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10398 articles, both read and unread.
10401 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10402 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10403 Exit the group and go to the next group
10404 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10407 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10408 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10409 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10410 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10413 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10414 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10415 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10416 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10417 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10418 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10421 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10422 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10423 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10424 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10426 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10427 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10428 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10429 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10430 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10431 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10432 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10433 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10434 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10435 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10436 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10437 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10439 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10441 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10442 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10443 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10444 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10445 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10446 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10447 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10448 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10449 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10452 @node Crosspost Handling
10453 @section Crosspost Handling
10457 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10458 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10459 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10460 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10461 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10462 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10465 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10466 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10467 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10468 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10469 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10471 @cindex cross-posting
10473 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10474 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10475 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10476 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10477 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10478 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10479 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10480 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10481 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10482 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10483 the cross reference mechanism.
10485 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10486 @cindex overview.fmt
10487 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10488 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10489 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10490 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10491 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10492 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10495 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10496 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10497 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10502 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10505 @node Duplicate Suppression
10506 @section Duplicate Suppression
10508 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10509 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10510 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10511 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10516 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10517 is evil and not very common.
10520 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10521 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10524 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10525 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10528 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10531 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10532 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10534 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10535 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10536 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10537 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10538 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10539 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10540 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10543 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10544 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10545 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10546 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10547 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10548 saw the article in.
10551 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10552 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10553 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10555 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10556 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10557 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10558 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10559 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10560 session are suppressed.
10562 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10563 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10564 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10565 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10567 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10568 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10569 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10570 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10573 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10574 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10575 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10576 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10577 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10578 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10579 to you to figure out, I think.
10584 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10585 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10586 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10591 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10592 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10593 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10594 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10597 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10598 or newer is recommended.
10602 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10603 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10606 @item mm-verify-option
10607 @vindex mm-verify-option
10608 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10609 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10610 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10612 @item mm-decrypt-option
10613 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10614 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10615 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10616 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10619 @vindex mml1991-use
10620 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10621 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10622 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10626 @vindex mml2015-use
10627 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10628 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10629 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10634 @cindex snarfing keys
10635 @cindex importing PGP keys
10636 @cindex PGP key ring import
10637 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10638 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10639 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10640 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10641 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10642 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10643 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10644 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10645 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10648 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10651 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10652 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10655 @section Mailing List
10656 @cindex mailing list
10659 @kindex A M (summary)
10660 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10661 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10662 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10663 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10666 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10671 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10672 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10673 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10676 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10677 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10678 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10681 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10682 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10683 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10687 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10688 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10689 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10692 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10693 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10694 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10697 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10698 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10699 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10704 @node Article Buffer
10705 @chapter Article Buffer
10706 @cindex article buffer
10708 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10709 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10710 tell Gnus otherwise.
10713 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10714 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10715 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10716 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10717 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10721 @node Hiding Headers
10722 @section Hiding Headers
10723 @cindex hiding headers
10724 @cindex deleting headers
10726 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10727 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10729 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10730 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10731 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10732 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10733 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10734 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10735 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10736 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10737 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10739 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10743 @item gnus-visible-headers
10744 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10745 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10746 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10747 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10749 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10750 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10753 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10756 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10759 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10760 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10761 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10762 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10763 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10764 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10766 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10767 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10770 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10773 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10776 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10777 variable will have no effect.
10781 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10782 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10783 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10784 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10785 the headers are to be displayed.
10787 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10788 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10791 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10794 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10795 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10797 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10798 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10799 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10800 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10801 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10802 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
10803 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10806 These conditions are:
10809 Remove all empty headers.
10811 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10812 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10814 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
10815 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
10818 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10821 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10822 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
10824 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10825 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10827 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10828 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
10830 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10833 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10835 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10838 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10841 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10842 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10845 This is also the default value for this variable.
10849 @section Using MIME
10850 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10852 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10853 while people stand around yawning.
10855 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10856 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10858 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10859 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10860 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10862 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10863 @findex gnus-display-mime
10864 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10865 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10866 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10867 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
10869 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10870 @acronym{MIME} button:
10873 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10874 @item RET (Article)
10875 @kindex RET (Article)
10876 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10877 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
10878 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
10879 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10880 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10881 object is displayed inline.
10883 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10884 @item M-RET (Article)
10885 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10887 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10888 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10890 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10892 @kindex t (Article)
10893 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
10894 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10896 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10898 @kindex C (Article)
10899 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10900 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10902 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10904 @kindex o (Article)
10905 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
10906 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10908 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10909 @item C-o (Article)
10910 @kindex C-o (Article)
10911 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
10912 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10913 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10914 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
10915 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10916 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10918 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10920 @kindex d (Article)
10921 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
10922 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
10923 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10925 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10927 @kindex c (Article)
10928 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10929 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10930 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10931 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10932 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10934 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10936 @kindex p (Article)
10937 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10938 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10939 @file{.mailcap} file.
10941 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10943 @kindex i (Article)
10944 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
10945 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10946 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10947 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10948 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
10951 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10953 @kindex E (Article)
10954 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10955 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10956 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10958 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10960 @kindex e (Article)
10961 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
10962 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10964 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10966 @kindex | (Article)
10967 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10969 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10971 @kindex . (Article)
10972 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
10973 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10977 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10978 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10979 @acronym{MIME} manual.
10981 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10982 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10983 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
10984 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10985 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10986 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10987 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10988 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10989 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10991 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10993 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10996 @node Customizing Articles
10997 @section Customizing Articles
10998 @cindex article customization
11000 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11001 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11002 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11003 called automatically when you select the articles.
11005 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11006 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11007 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11008 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11010 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11011 for sensible values.
11015 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11018 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11021 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11024 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
11027 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11031 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11032 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11033 regexps in the list.
11036 A list where the first element is not a string:
11038 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11039 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11040 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11044 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11049 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11050 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11051 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11052 considered to contain just a single part.
11054 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11055 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11056 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11057 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11058 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11059 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11060 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11062 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11063 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11064 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11065 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11068 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11069 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11071 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11073 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11074 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11075 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11076 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11077 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11078 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11079 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11080 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11081 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11082 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11084 @xref{Article Washing}.
11086 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11087 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11088 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11089 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11090 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11091 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11092 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11094 @xref{Article Date}.
11096 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11097 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11098 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11102 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11104 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11106 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11107 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11108 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11112 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11116 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11120 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11121 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11122 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11123 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11124 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11125 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11126 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11127 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11128 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11129 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11131 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11133 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11134 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11135 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11137 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11139 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11140 @item gnus-treat-translate
11141 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11143 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11144 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11145 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11146 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11148 @xref{Article Header}.
11153 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11154 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11155 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11156 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11157 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11161 @node Article Keymap
11162 @section Article Keymap
11164 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11165 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11166 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11167 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11170 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11175 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11176 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11177 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11178 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11181 @kindex DEL (Article)
11182 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11183 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11184 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11187 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11188 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11189 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11190 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11191 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11194 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11195 @findex gnus-article-mail
11196 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11197 given a prefix, include the mail.
11200 @kindex s (Article)
11201 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11202 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11203 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11206 @kindex ? (Article)
11207 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11208 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11209 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11212 @kindex TAB (Article)
11213 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11214 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11215 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11218 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11219 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11220 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11223 @kindex R (Article)
11224 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11225 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11226 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11227 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11231 @kindex F (Article)
11232 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11233 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11234 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11235 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11243 @section Misc Article
11247 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11248 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11249 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11250 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11253 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11254 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11255 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11256 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11257 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11259 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11260 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11261 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11262 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11263 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11264 the contents of the article buffer.
11266 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11267 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11268 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11270 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11271 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11272 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11273 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11275 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11276 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11277 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11278 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11280 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11281 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11282 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11283 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11284 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11290 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11291 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11292 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11297 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11300 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11303 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11304 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11305 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11308 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11311 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11314 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11319 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11323 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11325 @item gnus-break-pages
11326 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11327 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11328 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11329 paging will not be done.
11331 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11332 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11333 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11337 @cindex internationalized domain names
11338 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11339 @item gnus-use-idna
11340 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11341 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11342 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11343 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11344 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11349 @node Composing Messages
11350 @chapter Composing Messages
11351 @cindex composing messages
11354 @cindex sending mail
11359 @cindex using s/mime
11360 @cindex using smime
11362 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11363 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11364 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11365 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11366 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11367 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11370 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11371 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11372 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11373 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11374 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11375 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11376 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11377 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11380 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11381 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11387 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11390 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11391 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11392 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11393 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11394 @code{nil} include all headers.
11396 @item gnus-add-to-list
11397 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11398 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11399 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11401 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11402 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11403 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11404 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11405 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11406 confirmation is should be asked for.
11408 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11409 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11411 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11412 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11413 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11414 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11415 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11420 @node Posting Server
11421 @section Posting Server
11423 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11424 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11426 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11428 It can be quite complicated.
11430 @vindex gnus-post-method
11431 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11432 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11433 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11434 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11435 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11436 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11437 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11438 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11439 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11442 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11445 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11446 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11447 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11448 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11450 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11451 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11453 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11454 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11457 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11458 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11460 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11461 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11462 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11463 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11464 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11465 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11466 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11467 package correctly. An example:
11470 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11471 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11474 To the thing similar to this, there is
11475 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your ISP requires
11476 the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. See the
11477 documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11479 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11480 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11481 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11483 @node Mail and Post
11484 @section Mail and Post
11486 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11490 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11491 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11492 @cindex mailing lists
11494 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11495 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11496 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11497 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11498 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11499 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11500 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11501 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11502 still a pain, though.
11504 @item gnus-user-agent
11505 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11508 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11509 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11510 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11511 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11512 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11513 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11514 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11518 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11519 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11520 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11523 @findex ispell-message
11525 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11528 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11529 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11532 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11536 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11537 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11539 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11542 Modify to suit your needs.
11545 @node Archived Messages
11546 @section Archived Messages
11547 @cindex archived messages
11548 @cindex sent messages
11550 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11551 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11552 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11553 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11556 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11557 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11560 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11561 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11562 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11565 (nnfolder "archive"
11566 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11567 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11568 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11569 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11572 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11573 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11574 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11575 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11578 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11579 '(nnfolder "archive"
11580 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11581 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11582 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11585 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11587 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11588 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11589 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11591 This variable can be used to do the following:
11595 Messages will be saved in that group.
11597 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11598 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11599 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11600 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11601 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11602 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11603 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11604 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11607 @item a list of strings
11608 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11610 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11611 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11614 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11619 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11621 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11624 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11626 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11629 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11631 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11632 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11633 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11634 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11637 More complex stuff:
11639 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11640 '((if (message-news-p)
11645 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11646 messages in one file per month:
11649 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11650 '((if (message-news-p)
11652 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11655 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11656 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11658 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11659 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11660 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11661 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11662 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11663 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11664 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11665 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11666 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11667 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11669 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11670 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11671 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11672 this will disable archiving.
11675 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11676 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11677 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11678 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11679 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11682 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11683 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11684 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11687 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11688 but the latter is the preferred method.
11690 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11691 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11692 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11694 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11695 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11696 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11697 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11698 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11699 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11700 changed in the future.
11705 @node Posting Styles
11706 @section Posting Styles
11707 @cindex posting styles
11710 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11712 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11713 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11714 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11717 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11718 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11719 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11720 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11721 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11726 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11727 (organization "What me?"))
11729 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11730 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11731 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11734 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11735 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11736 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11737 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11738 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11739 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11740 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11741 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11743 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11744 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11745 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11746 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11747 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11748 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
11749 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11750 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11751 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11752 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11753 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11754 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11755 said to @dfn{match}.
11757 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11758 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11759 attribute name can be one of:
11762 @item @code{signature}
11763 @item @code{signature-file}
11764 @item @code{x-face-file}
11765 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
11766 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
11770 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
11771 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
11772 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
11773 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
11774 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
11776 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11777 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11778 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11779 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11780 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11781 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11782 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11783 references chars lines xref extra.
11785 @vindex message-reply-headers
11787 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11788 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11789 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11791 @findex message-mail-p
11792 @findex message-news-p
11794 So here's a new example:
11797 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11799 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11801 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11802 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11804 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11805 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11806 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11807 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11808 (signature my-news-signature))
11809 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11810 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11811 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11812 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11813 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11814 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11815 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11816 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11817 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11818 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11820 (From (save-excursion
11821 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11822 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11824 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11827 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11828 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11829 if you fill many roles.
11836 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11837 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11838 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11839 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11840 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11842 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11843 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11844 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11845 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11846 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11850 @vindex nndraft-directory
11851 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11852 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11853 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11854 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11855 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11856 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11858 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11859 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11860 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11861 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11862 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11863 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11864 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11865 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11866 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11868 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11869 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11870 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11871 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11872 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11873 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11874 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11875 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11876 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11877 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11878 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11879 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11880 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11881 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11883 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11884 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11885 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11887 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11888 @kindex D e (Draft)
11889 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11890 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11891 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11893 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11896 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11897 @kindex D s (Draft)
11898 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11899 @kindex D S (Draft)
11900 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11901 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11902 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11903 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11904 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11907 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11908 @kindex D t (Draft)
11909 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11910 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11911 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11914 @node Rejected Articles
11915 @section Rejected Articles
11916 @cindex rejected articles
11918 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11919 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11920 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11921 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11923 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11924 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11925 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11926 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11927 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11929 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11930 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11931 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11933 @node Signing and encrypting
11934 @section Signing and encrypting
11936 @cindex using s/mime
11937 @cindex using smime
11939 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11940 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11941 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11942 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11944 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11945 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11946 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11947 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11948 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11949 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11950 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11951 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11952 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11953 automatically encrypted messages.
11955 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
11956 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
11957 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11962 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
11963 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11965 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11968 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
11969 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11971 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11974 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
11975 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11977 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11980 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
11981 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11983 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11986 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
11987 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11989 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11992 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
11993 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11995 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11998 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
11999 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12000 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12004 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12006 @node Select Methods
12007 @chapter Select Methods
12008 @cindex foreign groups
12009 @cindex select methods
12011 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12012 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12013 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12014 personal mail group.
12016 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12017 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12018 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12019 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12020 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12021 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12023 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12024 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12026 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12029 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12030 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12031 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12032 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12033 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12035 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12038 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12039 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12040 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12041 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12042 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12043 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12044 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12045 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12049 @node Server Buffer
12050 @section Server Buffer
12052 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12053 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12054 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12055 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12056 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12057 back end represents a virtual server.
12059 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12060 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12061 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12062 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12064 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12065 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12066 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12067 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12068 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12069 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12070 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12072 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12073 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12076 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12077 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12078 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12079 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12080 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12081 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12082 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12085 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12086 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12089 @node Server Buffer Format
12090 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12091 @cindex server buffer format
12093 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12094 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12095 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12096 variable, with some simple extensions:
12101 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12104 The name of this server.
12107 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12110 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12113 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12114 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12115 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12116 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12126 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12129 @node Server Commands
12130 @subsection Server Commands
12131 @cindex server commands
12137 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12138 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12142 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12143 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12146 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12147 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12148 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12152 @findex gnus-server-exit
12153 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12157 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12158 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12162 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12163 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12167 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12168 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12172 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12173 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12177 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12178 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12179 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12184 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12185 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12186 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12187 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12192 @node Example Methods
12193 @subsection Example Methods
12195 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12198 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12201 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12207 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12208 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12211 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12212 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12214 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12215 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12219 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12222 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12223 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12225 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12226 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12227 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12231 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12234 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12237 Here's the method for a public spool:
12241 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12242 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12248 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12249 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12250 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12251 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12252 should probably look something like this:
12256 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12257 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12258 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12259 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12262 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12263 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12264 configuration to the example above:
12267 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12270 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12272 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12273 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12274 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12278 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12279 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12280 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12281 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12284 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12285 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12286 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12287 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12290 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12291 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12293 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12294 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12296 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12297 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12298 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12300 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12302 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12303 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12304 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12305 will contain the following:
12315 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12316 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12319 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12320 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12321 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12324 @node Server Variables
12325 @subsection Server Variables
12326 @cindex server variables
12327 @cindex server parameters
12329 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12330 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12331 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12332 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12333 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12335 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12336 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12337 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12338 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12339 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12340 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12341 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12342 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12343 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12347 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12348 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12349 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12352 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12354 @node Servers and Methods
12355 @subsection Servers and Methods
12357 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12358 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12359 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12360 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12364 @node Unavailable Servers
12365 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12367 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12368 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12369 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12370 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12371 actually the case or not.
12373 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12374 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12375 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12376 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12377 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12378 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12379 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12380 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12382 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12383 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12385 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12386 with the following commands:
12392 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12393 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12394 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12398 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12399 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12400 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12404 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12405 Mark the current server as unreachable
12406 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12409 @kindex M-o (Server)
12410 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12411 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12412 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12415 @kindex M-c (Server)
12416 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12417 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12418 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12422 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12423 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12424 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12428 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12429 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12435 @section Getting News
12436 @cindex reading news
12437 @cindex news back ends
12439 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12440 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12441 or it can read from a local spool.
12444 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12445 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12453 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12454 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12455 server as the, uhm, address.
12457 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12458 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12459 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12460 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12462 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12463 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12464 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12466 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12471 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12472 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12473 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12475 @cindex authentification
12476 @cindex nntp authentification
12477 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12478 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12479 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12480 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12481 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12482 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12483 present in this hook.
12485 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12486 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12487 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12488 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12489 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12490 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12491 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12492 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12493 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12494 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12495 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12496 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12500 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12503 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12505 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12506 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12507 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12508 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12509 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12510 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12511 @samp{force} is explained below.
12515 Here's an example file:
12518 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12519 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12522 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12523 have to be first, for instance.
12525 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12526 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12527 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12528 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12529 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12530 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12531 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12533 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12534 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12540 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12541 previously mentioned.
12543 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12545 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12546 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12547 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12548 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12549 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12552 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12553 '(("innd" (ding))))
12556 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12558 The default value is
12561 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12562 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12563 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12566 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12567 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12569 @item nntp-maximum-request
12570 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12571 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12572 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12573 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12574 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12575 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12576 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12578 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12579 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12580 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12581 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12582 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12583 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12584 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12585 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12586 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12587 no timeouts are done.
12589 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12590 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12591 @c @cindex PPP connections
12592 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12593 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12594 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12595 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12596 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12597 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12598 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12599 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12600 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12601 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12603 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12604 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12605 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12606 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12607 @c described above.
12609 @item nntp-server-hook
12610 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12611 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12614 @item nntp-buggy-select
12615 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12616 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12618 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12619 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12620 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12621 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12624 @item nntp-xover-commands
12625 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12626 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12628 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12629 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12633 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12634 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12635 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12636 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12637 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12638 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12639 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12640 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12641 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12642 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12643 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12645 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12646 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12647 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12649 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12650 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12651 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12652 server closes connection.
12654 @item nntp-record-commands
12655 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12656 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12657 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12658 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12659 that doesn't seem to work.
12661 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12662 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12663 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12664 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12665 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12666 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12667 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12668 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12670 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12671 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12672 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12673 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12674 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12675 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12676 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12679 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12682 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12683 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12685 @item nntp-read-timeout
12686 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12687 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12688 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12689 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12690 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12696 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12697 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12698 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12702 @node Direct Functions
12703 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12704 @cindex direct connection functions
12706 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12707 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12708 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12709 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12712 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12713 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12714 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12717 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12718 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12719 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12720 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12721 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12724 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12725 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12727 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12728 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12729 (nntp-port-number )
12730 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12733 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12734 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12735 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12736 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12737 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12738 then define a server as follows:
12741 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12742 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12744 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12745 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12746 (nntp-port-number 563)
12747 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12750 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12751 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12752 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12753 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12754 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12755 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12756 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12757 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12761 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12762 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12763 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12766 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12767 session, which is not a good idea.
12771 @node Indirect Functions
12772 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12773 @cindex indirect connection functions
12775 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12776 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12777 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12778 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12779 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12780 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12783 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12784 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12785 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12786 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12787 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12789 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12792 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12793 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12794 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12795 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12797 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12798 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12799 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12800 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12801 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12802 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12803 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12804 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12808 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12809 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12810 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12811 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12813 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12816 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12817 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12818 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12821 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12822 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12823 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12824 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12826 @item nntp-via-user-password
12827 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12828 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12830 @item nntp-via-envuser
12831 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12832 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12833 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12834 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12836 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12837 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12838 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12839 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12846 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12851 @item nntp-via-user-name
12852 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12853 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12855 @item nntp-via-address
12856 @vindex nntp-via-address
12857 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12862 @node Common Variables
12863 @subsubsection Common Variables
12865 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12866 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12871 @item nntp-pre-command
12872 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12873 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12874 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12875 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12876 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12879 @vindex nntp-address
12880 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12882 @item nntp-port-number
12883 @vindex nntp-port-number
12884 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12885 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
12886 @acronym{tls}/@acronym{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12887 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
12888 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
12889 not work with named ports.
12891 @item nntp-end-of-line
12892 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12893 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
12894 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12895 using a non native connection function.
12897 @item nntp-telnet-command
12898 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12899 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
12900 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
12901 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12904 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12905 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12906 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12913 @subsection News Spool
12917 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12918 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12919 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12922 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12923 anything else) as the address.
12925 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12926 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12927 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12928 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12932 @item nnspool-inews-program
12933 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12934 Program used to post an article.
12936 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12937 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12938 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12940 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12941 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12942 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12943 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12945 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12946 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12947 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
12948 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12950 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12951 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12952 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12954 @item nnspool-active-file
12955 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12956 The name of the active file.
12958 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12959 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12960 The name of the group descriptions file.
12962 @item nnspool-history-file
12963 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12964 The name of the news history file.
12966 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12967 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12968 The name of the active date file.
12970 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12971 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12972 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
12975 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12976 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12978 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12979 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
12980 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
12987 @section Getting Mail
12988 @cindex reading mail
12991 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12995 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12996 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12997 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12998 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12999 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13000 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13001 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13002 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13003 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13004 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13005 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13006 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13007 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13011 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13012 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13014 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13015 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13016 of a culture shock.
13018 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13019 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13021 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13022 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13023 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13024 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13026 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13028 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13029 deleted? How awful!
13031 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13032 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13033 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13034 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13037 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13038 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13039 they want to treat a message.
13041 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13042 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13043 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13044 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13045 archived somewhere else.
13047 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13048 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13049 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13050 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13051 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13053 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13054 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13055 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13057 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13058 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13061 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13062 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13063 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13064 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13065 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13067 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13068 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13069 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13070 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13071 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13072 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13076 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13077 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13079 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13080 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13081 and things will happen automatically.
13083 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13084 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13087 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13090 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13091 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13092 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13093 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13094 like any other group.
13096 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13099 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13100 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13101 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13105 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13106 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13107 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13110 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13111 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13112 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13115 @node Splitting Mail
13116 @subsection Splitting Mail
13117 @cindex splitting mail
13118 @cindex mail splitting
13119 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13121 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13122 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13123 to be split into groups.
13126 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13127 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13128 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13129 ("mail.other" "")))
13132 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13133 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13134 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13135 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13136 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13137 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13138 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13141 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13144 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13145 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13146 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13147 mail belongs in that group.
13149 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13150 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13151 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13152 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13153 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13154 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13156 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13157 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13158 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13159 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13160 thinks should carry this mail message.
13162 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13163 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13164 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13165 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13167 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13168 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13169 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13170 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13171 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13173 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13176 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13177 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13178 links. If that's the case for you, set
13179 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13180 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13182 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13183 @findex nnmail-split-history
13184 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13185 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13186 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13187 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13190 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13191 Header lines longer than the value of
13192 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13195 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13196 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13197 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13198 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13199 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13200 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13201 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13202 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13204 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13205 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13206 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13207 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13208 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13209 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13210 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13211 other kinds of entries.)
13213 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13214 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13215 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13216 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13217 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13218 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13219 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13220 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13221 month's rent money.
13225 @subsection Mail Sources
13227 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13228 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13229 maildir, for instance.
13232 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13233 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13234 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13238 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13239 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13241 @cindex mail server
13244 @cindex mail source
13246 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13247 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13252 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13255 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13256 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13257 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13260 The following mail source types are available:
13264 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13270 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13271 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13272 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13276 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13279 An example file mail source:
13282 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13285 Or using the default file name:
13291 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13292 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13293 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13294 mail spool while moving the mail.
13296 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13300 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13303 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13307 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13310 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13312 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13315 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13319 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13320 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13321 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13322 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13323 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13324 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13325 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13326 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13327 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13328 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13330 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13331 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13332 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13333 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13339 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13343 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13347 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13348 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13349 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13350 predicate are considered.
13354 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13358 An example directory mail source:
13361 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13366 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13372 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13373 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13376 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13377 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13378 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13379 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13380 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13383 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13387 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13388 the user is prompted.
13391 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13392 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13395 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13398 The valid format specifier characters are:
13402 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13403 included in this string.
13406 The name of the server.
13409 The port number of the server.
13412 The user name to use.
13415 The password to use.
13418 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13419 corresponding keywords.
13422 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13423 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13426 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13427 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13430 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13431 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13432 mail should be moved to.
13434 @item :authentication
13435 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13436 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13441 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13442 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13444 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13445 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13451 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13454 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13455 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13458 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13461 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13465 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13466 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13467 contains exactly one mail.
13473 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13474 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13477 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13478 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13480 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13481 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13482 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13485 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13486 from locking problems).
13490 Two example maildir mail sources:
13493 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13494 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13498 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13503 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13504 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13505 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13506 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13507 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13509 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13510 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13516 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13517 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13520 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13521 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13524 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13528 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13532 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13533 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13534 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13535 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13537 @item :authentication
13538 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13539 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13540 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13541 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13544 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13545 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13546 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13552 The valid format specifier characters are:
13556 The name of the server.
13559 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13562 The port number of the server.
13565 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13566 corresponding keywords.
13569 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13570 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13573 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13574 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13575 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13576 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13577 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13578 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13581 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13582 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13583 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13584 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13587 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13588 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13592 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13595 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13597 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13601 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13602 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13603 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13605 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13606 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13608 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13614 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13615 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13618 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13622 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13626 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13627 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13631 An example webmail source:
13634 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13636 :password "secret")
13641 @item Common Keywords
13642 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13648 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13649 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13654 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13659 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13660 useful when you use local mail and news.
13665 @subsubsection Function Interface
13667 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13668 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13669 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13670 consider the following mail-source setting:
13673 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13674 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13677 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13678 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13679 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13680 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13681 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13683 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13686 @node Mail Source Customization
13687 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13689 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13690 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13694 @item mail-source-crash-box
13695 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13696 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13697 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13699 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13700 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13701 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13702 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13703 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13704 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13705 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13706 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13708 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13709 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13710 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13711 files. This variable only applies when
13712 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13714 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13715 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13716 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13718 @item mail-source-directory
13719 @vindex mail-source-directory
13720 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13721 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13722 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13725 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13726 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13727 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13728 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13729 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13730 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13732 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13733 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13734 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13736 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13737 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13738 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13739 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13744 @node Fetching Mail
13745 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13747 @vindex mail-sources
13748 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13749 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13750 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13751 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13753 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13754 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13757 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13758 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13763 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13764 :password "secret")))
13767 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13771 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13772 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13775 :password "secret")))
13779 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13780 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13781 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13782 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13783 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13784 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13788 @node Mail Back End Variables
13789 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13791 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13795 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13796 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13797 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13798 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13800 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13801 @item nnmail-split-hook
13802 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13803 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13804 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13805 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13806 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13807 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13808 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13809 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13810 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13813 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13814 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13815 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13816 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13817 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13818 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13819 starting to handle the new mail) and
13820 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13821 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13822 default file modes the new mail files get:
13825 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13826 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13828 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13829 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13832 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13833 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13834 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13835 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13836 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13837 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13838 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13840 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13841 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13842 @findex delete-file
13843 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13845 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13846 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13847 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13848 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13849 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13851 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13852 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13853 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13854 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13855 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13857 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13858 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13859 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13864 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13865 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13866 @cindex mail splitting
13867 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13869 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13870 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13871 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13872 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13873 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13874 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13876 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13879 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
13880 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
13881 ;; @r{from real errors.}
13882 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13884 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
13885 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
13886 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
13887 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13888 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13889 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
13890 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13891 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13892 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
13893 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
13894 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
13895 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
13896 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13897 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13898 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
13899 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13900 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
13904 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
13905 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
13906 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
13911 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
13912 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
13914 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split})
13915 If the split is a list, the first element of which is a string, then
13916 store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field}
13917 (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict}
13918 (yet another regexp) matches some string after @var{field} and before
13919 the end of the matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If
13920 none of the @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13922 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
13923 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
13924 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
13925 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
13926 stored in one or more groups.
13928 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
13929 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
13930 process all @var{split}s in the list.
13933 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
13934 this message. Use with extreme caution.
13936 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
13937 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
13938 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
13939 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
13942 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13943 body of the messages:
13946 (defun split-on-body ()
13950 (goto-char (point-min))
13951 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13955 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
13956 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
13957 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
13958 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
13959 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
13960 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to t to do that (@pxref{Splitting in
13963 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
13964 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
13965 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
13966 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
13967 should return a split.
13970 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13974 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13975 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13976 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13977 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13978 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13980 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13981 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
13982 they are expanded as specified by the variable
13983 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
13984 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
13985 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
13986 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
13990 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
13992 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
13993 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
13995 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
13998 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13999 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14000 when all this splitting is performed.
14002 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14003 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14004 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14007 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14010 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14011 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14013 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14014 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14015 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14016 groupings 1 through 9.
14018 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14019 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} controls whether partial
14020 words are matched during fancy splitting.
14022 Normally, regular expressions given in @code{nnmail-split-fancy} are
14023 implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers, which are word
14024 delimiters. If this variable is true, they are not implicitly
14025 surrounded by anything.
14028 (any "joe" "joemail")
14031 In this example, messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will
14032 normally not be filed in @samp{joemail}. With
14033 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} set to t, however, the
14034 match will happen. In effect, the requirement of a word boundary is
14035 removed and instead the match becomes more like a grep.
14037 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14038 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14039 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14040 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14041 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14042 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14043 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14044 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14045 it once per thread.
14047 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14048 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14049 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14050 using the colon feature, like so:
14052 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14053 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14055 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14056 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14060 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14061 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14062 in the file specified by the variable
14063 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14064 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14065 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14066 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14067 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14068 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14069 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14070 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14071 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14072 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14073 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14074 300 kBytes in size.)
14075 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14076 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14077 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14078 messages goes into the new group.
14080 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14081 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14082 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14083 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14084 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14085 ``outgoing'' group.
14088 @node Group Mail Splitting
14089 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14090 @cindex mail splitting
14091 @cindex group mail splitting
14093 @findex gnus-group-split
14094 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14095 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14096 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14097 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14098 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14099 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14100 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14101 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14103 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14104 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14105 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14106 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14108 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14109 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14110 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14111 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14112 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14113 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14114 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14116 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14117 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14118 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14119 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14120 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14121 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14122 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14124 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14125 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14126 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14127 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14128 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14129 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14130 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14131 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14132 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14133 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14134 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14135 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14136 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14138 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14143 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14144 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14146 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14147 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14148 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14149 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14151 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14154 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14155 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14156 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14159 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14160 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14161 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14165 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14166 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14167 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14171 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14174 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14175 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14176 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14177 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14178 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14179 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14180 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14181 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14182 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14184 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14185 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14186 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14187 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14188 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14189 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14190 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14191 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14192 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14194 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14195 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14196 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14197 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14198 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14199 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14202 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14205 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14206 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14207 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14208 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14209 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14212 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14213 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14214 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14215 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14217 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14218 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14219 @cindex incorporating old mail
14220 @cindex import old mail
14222 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14223 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14224 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14227 Doing so can be quite easy.
14229 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14230 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14231 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14232 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14233 your @code{nnml} groups.
14239 Go to the group buffer.
14242 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14243 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14246 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14249 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14250 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14253 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14254 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14257 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14258 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14259 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14260 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14261 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14263 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14264 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14265 using the new mail back end.
14268 @node Expiring Mail
14269 @subsection Expiring Mail
14270 @cindex article expiry
14272 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14273 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14274 different approach to mail reading.
14276 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14277 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14278 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14279 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14280 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14281 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14284 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14285 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14286 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14287 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14288 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14289 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14290 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14291 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14292 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14294 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14295 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14296 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14297 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14298 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14299 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14300 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14303 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14304 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14305 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14306 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14307 into its own group.)
14309 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14310 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14311 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14312 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14313 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14314 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14315 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14316 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14319 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14320 Groups that match the regular expression
14321 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14322 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14323 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14325 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14326 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14327 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14328 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14329 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14331 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14333 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14334 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14335 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14338 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14339 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14340 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14341 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14342 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14344 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14345 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14348 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14349 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14352 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14353 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14355 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14356 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14357 don't really mix very well.
14359 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14360 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14361 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14362 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14365 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14366 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14367 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14368 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14371 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14373 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14375 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14377 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14379 ((string= group "important")
14385 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14386 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14388 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14389 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14390 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14393 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14394 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14396 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14397 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14398 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14399 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14400 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14401 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14402 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14403 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14404 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14405 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14406 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14407 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14408 name or @code{delete}.
14410 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14412 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14415 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14416 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14417 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14418 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14419 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14422 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14423 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14424 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14425 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14426 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14429 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14430 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14431 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14432 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14433 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14434 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14436 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14437 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14438 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14439 easier for procmail users.
14441 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14442 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14443 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14444 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14445 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14446 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14447 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14448 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14449 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14450 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14451 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14452 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14453 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14456 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14458 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14459 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14460 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14461 auto-expire turned on.
14465 @subsection Washing Mail
14466 @cindex mail washing
14467 @cindex list server brain damage
14468 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14470 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14471 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14472 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14473 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14474 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14475 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14477 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14478 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14479 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14482 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14483 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14484 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14485 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14488 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14489 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14490 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14491 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14492 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14495 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14496 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14497 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14498 Emacs running on MS machines.
14502 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14503 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14504 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14505 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14508 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14509 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14510 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14511 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14513 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14514 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14515 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14516 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14517 into a feature by documenting it.)
14519 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14520 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14521 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14522 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14523 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14524 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14525 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14528 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14529 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14532 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14533 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14536 This can also be done non-destructively with
14537 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14539 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14540 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14541 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14543 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14544 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14546 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14547 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14548 @code{References} headers.
14552 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14553 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14554 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14558 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14559 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14560 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14567 @subsection Duplicates
14569 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14570 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14571 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14572 @cindex duplicate mails
14573 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14574 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14575 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14576 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14577 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14578 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14579 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14580 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14581 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14582 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14583 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14584 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14585 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14587 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14588 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14589 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14590 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14592 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14595 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14596 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14600 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14601 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14602 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14603 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14604 (any mail "mail.misc")
14605 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14611 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14612 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14613 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14617 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14618 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14619 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14620 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14621 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14624 @node Not Reading Mail
14625 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14627 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14628 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14629 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14631 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14632 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14633 mail, which should help.
14635 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14636 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14637 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14638 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14639 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14640 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14641 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14642 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14643 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14644 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14645 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14647 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14648 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14652 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14653 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14655 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14656 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14657 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14659 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14660 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14661 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14665 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14666 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14667 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14668 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14669 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14670 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14671 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14675 @node Unix Mail Box
14676 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14678 @cindex unix mail box
14680 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14681 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14682 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14683 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14684 which group it belongs in.
14686 Virtual server settings:
14689 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14690 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14691 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14694 @item nnmbox-active-file
14695 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14696 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14697 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14699 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14700 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14701 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14702 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14707 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14711 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14712 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14713 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14714 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14715 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14717 Virtual server settings:
14720 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14721 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14722 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14724 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14725 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14726 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14727 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14729 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14730 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14731 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14737 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14739 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14741 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14742 format. It should be used with some caution.
14744 @vindex nnml-directory
14745 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14746 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14747 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14748 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14750 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14753 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14754 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14755 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14756 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14757 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14758 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14759 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14760 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14762 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14763 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14764 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14765 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14767 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14769 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14770 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14771 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14772 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14773 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14774 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14775 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14776 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14779 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14780 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14781 them next time it starts.
14783 Virtual server settings:
14786 @item nnml-directory
14787 @vindex nnml-directory
14788 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14789 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14792 @item nnml-active-file
14793 @vindex nnml-active-file
14794 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14795 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14797 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14798 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14799 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14800 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14802 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14803 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14804 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14807 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14808 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14809 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14810 default is @code{nil}.
14812 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14813 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14814 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14816 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14817 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14818 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14820 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14821 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14822 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14823 default is @code{nil}.
14825 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14826 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14827 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14829 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14830 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14831 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14836 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14837 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of whack,
14838 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14839 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14840 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14841 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14842 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14847 @subsubsection MH Spool
14849 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14851 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14852 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14853 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14854 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14856 Virtual server settings:
14859 @item nnmh-directory
14860 @vindex nnmh-directory
14861 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14862 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14865 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14866 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14867 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14871 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14872 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14873 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14874 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14875 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14876 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14877 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14882 @subsubsection Maildir
14886 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14887 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14888 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14889 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14890 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14893 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14894 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
14895 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14896 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14897 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14898 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14901 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14902 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14903 data in the filesystem.
14905 nnmaildir stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each maildir. So you
14906 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14909 Virtual server settings:
14913 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14914 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14915 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14916 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14917 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14918 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14919 starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14920 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14921 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14924 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14925 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14926 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14927 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14928 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14929 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14930 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14931 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14932 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14933 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14935 @item target-prefix
14936 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14937 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14938 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14941 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14942 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14943 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14944 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14945 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14946 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14947 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14948 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14949 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14951 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14952 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14953 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14954 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14955 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14957 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14958 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14959 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14960 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14961 @code{force} argument.
14963 @item directory-files
14964 This should be a function with the same interface as
14965 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14966 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14967 parameter is optional; the default is
14968 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14969 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14970 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14971 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14972 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14973 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14976 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14977 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14978 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14979 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14980 value is @code{nil}.
14982 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14983 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14984 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14985 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14986 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14989 @subsubsection Group parameters
14991 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14992 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14993 behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after one week,
14994 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14995 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14996 duplicate the behavior you already have with another back end.
14998 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14999 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15000 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15001 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15002 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15003 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15004 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15005 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15006 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15010 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
15011 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15012 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15013 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
15014 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
15015 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
15016 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15017 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
15018 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15019 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15020 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15021 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15024 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15026 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15028 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15029 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15030 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
15031 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
15032 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15033 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15034 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15035 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15036 article. So that form can refer to
15037 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15038 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
15039 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15040 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15043 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
15044 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
15045 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
15046 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
15047 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
15048 directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
15049 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
15050 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
15051 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
15052 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
15053 extra copies of the articles.
15055 @item directory-files
15056 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15057 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15058 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15059 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15061 @item distrust-Lines:
15062 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
15063 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15064 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15067 A list of mark symbols, such as
15068 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
15069 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
15070 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
15071 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
15072 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15073 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15076 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15077 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
15078 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
15079 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15080 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15081 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15082 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15084 @item nov-cache-size
15085 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To speed
15086 things up, nnmaildir keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory for a limited number of
15087 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
15088 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
15089 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened---i.e.,
15090 when you first start Gnus, typically. The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized
15091 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
15092 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
15093 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
15094 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15097 @subsubsection Article identification
15098 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15099 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15100 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
15101 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15102 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15103 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15104 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15105 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15106 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15107 request the article in the summary buffer.
15109 @subsubsection NOV data
15110 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used to
15111 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15112 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15113 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15114 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically when the
15115 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
15116 nnmaildir to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a single article simply by
15117 deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV} file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
15118 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
15119 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15121 @subsubsection Article marks
15122 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15123 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15124 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
15125 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
15126 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
15127 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
15128 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
15129 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15131 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15132 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15133 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15134 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15135 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
15136 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
15137 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
15138 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
15139 changes, and might undo them.
15143 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15145 @cindex mbox folders
15146 @cindex mail folders
15148 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
15149 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
15150 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
15153 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15155 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15156 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15157 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15158 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15159 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15160 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15161 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
15162 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
15163 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
15164 @code{nnfolder} directory).
15166 Virtual server settings:
15169 @item nnfolder-directory
15170 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15171 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
15172 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15175 @item nnfolder-active-file
15176 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15177 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15179 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15180 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15181 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15182 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15184 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15185 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15186 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
15189 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15190 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15191 @cindex backup files
15192 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15193 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
15194 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
15195 your @file{.emacs} file:
15198 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15199 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15201 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15204 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15205 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15206 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15207 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15208 extract some information from it before removing it.
15210 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15211 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15212 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15213 default is @code{nil}.
15215 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15216 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15217 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15219 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15220 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15221 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15222 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15224 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15225 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15226 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15227 default is @code{nil}.
15229 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15230 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15231 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15233 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15234 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15235 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15236 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15241 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15242 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15243 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15244 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15245 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15246 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15249 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15250 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15252 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15253 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15254 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15255 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15256 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15258 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15259 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15260 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15261 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15262 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15263 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15264 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15265 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15268 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15269 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15270 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15271 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15276 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15277 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15278 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15279 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15280 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15281 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15282 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15283 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15284 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15285 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15286 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15287 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15288 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15293 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15294 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15295 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15296 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15297 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15298 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15299 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15300 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15301 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15302 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15303 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15304 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15305 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15306 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15308 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15309 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15314 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15315 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15316 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15317 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15318 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15319 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15320 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15321 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15322 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15323 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15324 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15325 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15326 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15327 provided by the active file and overviews.
15329 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15330 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15331 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15332 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15333 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15336 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15337 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15342 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15343 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15344 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15345 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15346 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15347 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15348 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15352 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15353 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15354 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15355 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15356 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15357 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15358 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15359 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15360 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15362 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15363 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15364 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15365 friendly mail back end all over.
15369 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15370 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15373 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15374 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15375 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15376 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15377 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15378 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15379 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15380 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15383 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15384 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15385 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15386 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15387 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15388 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15389 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15390 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15391 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15392 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15393 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15395 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15396 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15397 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15398 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15399 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15402 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15403 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15404 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15405 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15406 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15407 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15408 removed in the future.
15410 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15411 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15412 on your file system.
15414 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15415 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15420 @node Browsing the Web
15421 @section Browsing the Web
15423 @cindex browsing the web
15427 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15428 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15429 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15430 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15431 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15432 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15433 even know what a news group is.
15435 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15436 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15437 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15438 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15439 you mad in the end.
15441 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15444 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15445 interfaces to these sources.
15449 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15450 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15451 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15452 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15453 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15454 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15457 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15459 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15460 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15461 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15462 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15463 though, you should be ok.
15465 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15466 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15467 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15468 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15469 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15471 @node Archiving Mail
15472 @subsection Archiving Mail
15473 @cindex archiving mail
15474 @cindex backup of mail
15476 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15477 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15478 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15479 marks is fairly simple.
15481 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15482 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15485 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15486 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15487 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15488 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15489 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15490 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15491 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15492 before you restore the data.
15494 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15495 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15496 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15497 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15498 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15499 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15500 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15501 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15502 is unnecessary in that case.
15505 @subsection Web Searches
15510 @cindex Usenet searches
15511 @cindex searching the Usenet
15513 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15514 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15515 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15516 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15517 searches without having to use a browser.
15519 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15520 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15521 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15522 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15523 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15525 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15526 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15527 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15528 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15529 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15530 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15531 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15532 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15533 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15534 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15537 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15538 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15539 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15540 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15541 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15542 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15544 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15545 to use @code{nnweb}.
15547 Virtual server variables:
15552 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15553 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15554 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15557 @vindex nnweb-search
15558 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15560 @item nnweb-max-hits
15561 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15562 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15565 @item nnweb-type-definition
15566 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15567 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15568 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15573 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15577 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15580 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15583 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15587 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15594 @subsection Slashdot
15598 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15599 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15600 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15602 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15603 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15606 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15607 '((nnslashdot "")))
15610 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15611 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15612 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15613 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15614 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15617 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15618 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15620 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15621 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15622 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15623 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
15624 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15625 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15626 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15628 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15631 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15632 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15633 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15634 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15635 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15636 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15637 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15639 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15640 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15641 The login name to use when posting.
15643 @item nnslashdot-password
15644 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15645 The password to use when posting.
15647 @item nnslashdot-directory
15648 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15649 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15650 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15652 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15653 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15654 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
15655 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
15656 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15658 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15659 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15660 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
15662 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15663 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15664 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
15665 article. The default is
15666 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15668 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15669 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15670 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15672 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15673 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15674 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15675 updated. The default is 0.
15682 @subsection Ultimate
15684 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15686 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15687 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15688 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15689 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15691 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15692 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15693 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
15694 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15695 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15696 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15697 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15699 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15702 @item nnultimate-directory
15703 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15704 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15705 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15710 @subsection Web Archive
15712 @cindex Web Archive
15714 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15715 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15716 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15717 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15720 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15721 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15722 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15723 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15724 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15725 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15726 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15727 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15729 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15732 @item nnwarchive-directory
15733 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15734 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15735 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15737 @item nnwarchive-login
15738 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15739 The account name on the web server.
15741 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15742 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15743 The password for your account on the web server.
15751 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
15752 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
15753 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
15754 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
15755 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
15757 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
15758 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15760 Use @kbd{G R} from the summary buffer to subscribe to a feed---you
15761 will be prompted for the location of the feed.
15763 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
15764 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET y}, then
15765 subscribe to groups.
15767 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15770 @item nnrss-directory
15771 @vindex nnrss-directory
15772 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15773 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15775 @item nnrss-use-local
15776 @vindex nnrss-use-local
15777 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
15778 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
15779 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
15780 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
15781 download script using @command{wget}.
15784 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15785 the summary buffer.
15788 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15789 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15791 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15793 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15794 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15797 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15800 (require 'browse-url)
15802 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15804 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15807 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15808 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15811 (browse-url (cdr url))
15812 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15813 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15815 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15816 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15817 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15818 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15821 @node Customizing w3
15822 @subsection Customizing w3
15828 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15829 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15830 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15832 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15833 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15834 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15837 (eval-after-load "w3"
15839 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15840 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15841 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15842 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15844 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15847 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15848 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15855 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
15857 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15858 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
15859 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15860 specify the network address of the server.
15862 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
15863 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
15864 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
15865 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
15866 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
15867 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15869 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
15870 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
15871 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
15872 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
15874 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15875 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15876 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
15877 usage explained in this section.
15879 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
15880 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
15881 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
15885 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15886 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
15887 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
15889 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15890 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15891 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
15893 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15894 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15895 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15896 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
15897 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15898 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15899 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15900 (nnimap-stream network))
15901 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
15903 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15904 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15905 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15908 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15909 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15910 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15911 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15913 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15918 @item nnimap-address
15919 @vindex nnimap-address
15921 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
15922 server name if not specified.
15924 @item nnimap-server-port
15925 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15926 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
15928 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15931 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15932 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15935 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15936 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15937 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15938 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15939 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
15940 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15941 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15943 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15944 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15945 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15948 Example server specification:
15951 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15952 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15953 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15956 @item nnimap-stream
15957 @vindex nnimap-stream
15958 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15959 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15960 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
15961 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
15962 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15964 Example server specification:
15967 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15968 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15971 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15975 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15976 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15978 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15980 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15981 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15984 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15985 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15987 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15988 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15990 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
15992 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15995 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15996 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15997 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15998 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15999 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16000 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16001 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16002 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16003 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16006 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16007 needed. It is available from
16008 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16010 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16011 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16012 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16013 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16014 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16015 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16016 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16019 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16020 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16021 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16022 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16023 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16024 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16025 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16028 @vindex imap-shell-program
16029 @vindex imap-shell-host
16030 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16031 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16033 @item nnimap-authenticator
16034 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16036 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16037 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16039 Example server specification:
16042 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16043 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16046 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16050 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16051 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16053 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16056 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16057 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16059 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16061 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16063 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16066 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16068 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16069 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16070 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16071 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16072 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16073 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16076 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16077 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16078 running in circles yet?
16080 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16081 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16084 The possible options are:
16089 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16092 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16093 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16094 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16095 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16097 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16102 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16103 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16105 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16106 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16107 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16108 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16109 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16112 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16113 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16116 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16117 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16118 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16119 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16122 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16123 as ticked for other users.
16125 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16127 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16129 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16130 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16131 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16132 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16134 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16135 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16136 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16137 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16139 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16140 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16142 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16143 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16144 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16147 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16148 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16150 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16151 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16157 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16158 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16159 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16160 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16161 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16162 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16167 @node Splitting in IMAP
16168 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16169 @cindex splitting imap mail
16171 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16172 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16173 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16174 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16175 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16179 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16180 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16181 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16183 Here are the variables of interest:
16187 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16188 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16190 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16192 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16193 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16194 found will be used.
16196 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16198 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16199 @cindex splitting, inbox
16201 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16203 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16204 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16205 splitting is disabled!
16208 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16209 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16212 No nnmail equivalent.
16214 @item nnimap-split-rule
16215 @cindex splitting, rules
16216 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16218 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16221 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16222 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16223 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16224 Neither did I, we need examples.
16227 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16229 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16230 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16231 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16234 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16235 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16236 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16238 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16239 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16243 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16246 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16247 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16249 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16250 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16251 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16252 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16254 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16255 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16256 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16257 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16258 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16259 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16261 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16262 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16263 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16265 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16266 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16267 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16269 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16271 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16272 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16273 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16276 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16277 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16278 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16279 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16280 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16281 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16284 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16285 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16286 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16287 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16288 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16289 group/function elements.
16291 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16293 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16295 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16297 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16298 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16300 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16301 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16302 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16305 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16306 @cindex splitting, fancy
16307 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16308 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16310 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16311 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16312 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16314 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16315 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16316 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16317 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16322 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16323 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16326 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16328 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16329 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16330 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16332 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16333 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16334 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16335 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16339 @node Expiring in IMAP
16340 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16341 @cindex expiring imap mail
16343 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16344 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16345 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16346 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16347 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16348 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16351 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16352 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16353 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16354 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16355 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16356 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16357 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16358 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16362 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16363 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16365 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16366 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16368 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16370 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16371 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16372 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16373 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16377 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16378 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16379 @cindex editing imap acls
16380 @cindex Access Control Lists
16381 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16382 @kindex G l (Group)
16383 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16385 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16386 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16387 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16390 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16391 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16392 editing window with detailed instructions.
16394 Some possible uses:
16398 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16399 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16400 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16402 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16403 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16404 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16408 @node Expunging mailboxes
16409 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16413 @cindex manual expunging
16414 @kindex G x (Group)
16415 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16417 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16418 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16419 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16421 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16424 @node A note on namespaces
16425 @subsection A note on namespaces
16426 @cindex IMAP namespace
16429 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16430 by the following text in the RFC:
16433 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16435 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16436 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16437 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16438 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16440 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16441 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16442 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16443 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16444 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16445 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16448 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16449 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16450 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16452 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16453 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16454 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16455 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16456 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16457 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16458 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16459 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16462 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16463 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16464 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16466 @node Debugging IMAP
16467 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16468 @cindex IMAP debugging
16469 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16471 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16472 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16473 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behaviour, chances
16474 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16476 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16477 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16478 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16479 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16480 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16481 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16482 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16486 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
16487 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
16494 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
16495 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
16496 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
16497 @code{BAD} - but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
16500 @node Other Sources
16501 @section Other Sources
16503 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16504 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16508 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16509 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16510 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16511 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16512 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16516 @node Directory Groups
16517 @subsection Directory Groups
16519 @cindex directory groups
16521 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16522 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16525 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16526 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16527 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16528 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16530 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16531 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16532 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16533 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16534 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16536 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16538 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16539 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16540 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16541 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16544 @node Anything Groups
16545 @subsection Anything Groups
16548 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16549 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16550 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16553 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16554 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16555 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16556 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16557 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16558 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16559 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16560 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16561 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16562 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16565 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16566 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16567 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16568 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16570 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16571 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16572 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16573 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16575 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16576 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16577 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16578 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16579 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16580 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16581 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16582 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16587 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16588 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16589 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16590 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16592 @item nneething-exclude-files
16593 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16594 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16595 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16597 @item nneething-include-files
16598 @vindex nneething-include-files
16599 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16600 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16602 @item nneething-map-file
16603 @vindex nneething-map-file
16604 Name of the map files.
16608 @node Document Groups
16609 @subsection Document Groups
16611 @cindex documentation group
16614 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16615 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16622 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16627 The standard Unix mbox file.
16629 @cindex MMDF mail box
16631 The MMDF mail box format.
16634 Several news articles appended into a file.
16637 @cindex rnews batch files
16638 The rnews batch transport format.
16639 @cindex forwarded messages
16642 Forwarded articles.
16645 Netscape mail boxes.
16648 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16650 @item standard-digest
16651 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16654 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16656 @item lanl-gov-announce
16657 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16659 @item rfc822-forward
16660 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16663 The Outlook mail box.
16666 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16669 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16672 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16675 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16681 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16684 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16690 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16691 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16692 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16695 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16696 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16697 group. And that's it.
16699 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16700 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16701 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16702 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16703 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16704 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16705 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16706 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16707 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16708 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16710 Virtual server variables:
16713 @item nndoc-article-type
16714 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16715 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16716 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16717 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16718 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16719 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16721 @item nndoc-post-type
16722 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16723 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16724 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16729 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16733 @node Document Server Internals
16734 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16736 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16737 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16738 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16739 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16741 First, here's an example document type definition:
16745 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16746 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16749 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16750 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16751 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16752 types can be defined with very few settings:
16755 @item first-article
16756 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16757 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16760 @item article-begin
16761 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16762 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16764 @item head-begin-function
16765 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16768 @item nndoc-head-begin
16769 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16772 @item nndoc-head-end
16773 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16774 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16776 @item body-begin-function
16777 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16781 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16784 @item body-end-function
16785 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16789 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16792 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16793 regexp will be totally ignored.
16797 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16798 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16799 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16800 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16801 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16804 @item prepare-body-function
16805 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16806 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16807 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16809 @item article-transform-function
16810 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16811 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16812 body of the article.
16814 @item generate-head-function
16815 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16816 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16817 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16818 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16822 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16827 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16828 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16829 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16830 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16831 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16832 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16833 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16834 (subtype digest guess))
16837 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16838 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16839 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16840 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16841 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16843 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16844 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16845 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16846 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16847 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
16848 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
16849 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
16850 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16851 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
16852 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16853 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
16854 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16862 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16863 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16864 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16866 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16867 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16868 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16871 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16872 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16873 that interested in doing things properly.
16875 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16876 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16879 First some terminology:
16884 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16885 get news and/or mail from.
16888 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16889 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16892 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16896 @item message packets
16897 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16898 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16899 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16901 @item response packets
16902 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16903 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16904 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16914 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16915 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16916 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16917 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16920 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16923 You put the packet in your home directory.
16926 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16927 the native or secondary server.
16930 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16931 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16934 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16938 You transfer this packet to the server.
16941 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16944 You then repeat until you die.
16948 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16949 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16952 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16953 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16954 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16958 @node SOUP Commands
16959 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16961 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16965 @kindex G s b (Group)
16966 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16967 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16968 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16969 process/prefix convention.
16972 @kindex G s w (Group)
16973 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16974 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16977 @kindex G s s (Group)
16978 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16979 Send all replies from the replies packet
16980 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16983 @kindex G s p (Group)
16984 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16985 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16988 @kindex G s r (Group)
16989 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16990 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16993 @kindex O s (Summary)
16994 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16995 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16996 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16997 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17002 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17007 @item gnus-soup-directory
17008 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17009 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17010 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17012 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17013 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17014 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17015 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17017 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17018 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17019 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17020 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17022 @item gnus-soup-packer
17023 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17024 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17025 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17027 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17028 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17029 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17030 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17032 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17033 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17034 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17036 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17037 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17038 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17039 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17045 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17048 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17049 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17050 you can read them at leisure.
17052 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17056 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17057 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17058 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17059 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17061 @item nnsoup-directory
17062 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17063 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17064 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17066 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17067 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17068 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17069 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17071 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17072 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17073 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17074 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17075 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17077 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17078 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17079 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17080 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17082 @item nnsoup-active-file
17083 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17084 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17085 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17086 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17087 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17089 @item nnsoup-packer
17090 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17091 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17092 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17094 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17095 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17096 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17097 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17099 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17100 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17101 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17104 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17105 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17106 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17109 @item nnsoup-always-save
17110 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17111 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17117 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17119 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17120 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17121 more for that to happen.
17123 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17124 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17125 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17128 In specific, this is what it does:
17131 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17132 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17135 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17136 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17137 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17140 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17141 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17142 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17145 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17146 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17147 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17149 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17155 @item nngateway-address
17156 @vindex nngateway-address
17157 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17159 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17160 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17161 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17162 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17163 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17164 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17165 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17168 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17169 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17170 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17173 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17176 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17179 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17182 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17184 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17187 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17188 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17189 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17191 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17193 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17194 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17195 @code{nngateway-address}.
17203 (setq gnus-post-method
17205 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17206 (nngateway-header-transformation
17207 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17210 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17213 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17218 @node Combined Groups
17219 @section Combined Groups
17221 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17225 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17226 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17230 @node Virtual Groups
17231 @subsection Virtual Groups
17233 @cindex virtual groups
17234 @cindex merging groups
17236 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17239 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17240 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17241 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17243 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17244 regexp to match component groups.
17246 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17247 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17248 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17249 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17250 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17251 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17252 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17253 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17255 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17256 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17259 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17262 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17263 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17265 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17266 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17267 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17268 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17271 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17274 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17275 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17276 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17278 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17279 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17280 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17281 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17282 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17284 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17285 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17286 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17288 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17289 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17290 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17291 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17292 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17293 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17294 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17295 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17296 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17297 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17298 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17300 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17301 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17302 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17303 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17304 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17305 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17306 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17308 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17309 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17311 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17312 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17316 @node Kibozed Groups
17317 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17321 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17322 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17323 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17324 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17326 @kindex G k (Group)
17327 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17330 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17331 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17332 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17333 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17335 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17336 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17337 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17339 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17340 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17341 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17342 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17343 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17344 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17345 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17346 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17348 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17349 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17350 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17351 Stranger things have happened.
17353 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17354 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17356 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17357 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17358 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17359 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17360 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17361 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17362 component articles.
17364 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17365 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17368 @node Gnus Unplugged
17369 @section Gnus Unplugged
17374 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17376 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17377 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17378 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17379 read news. Believe it or not.
17381 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17382 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17383 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17384 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17385 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17387 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17388 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17389 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17390 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17391 reading news on a machine.
17393 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17394 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17396 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17399 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17400 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17401 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17402 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
17403 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17404 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17405 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17406 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17407 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17408 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17409 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17410 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17411 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17416 @subsection Agent Basics
17418 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17420 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17421 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17422 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17423 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17425 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17426 connected to the net continuously.
17428 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17429 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17431 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17432 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17433 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17434 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17435 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17437 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17438 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17439 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17440 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17441 they're kinda like plugged always).
17443 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17444 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17445 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17448 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17449 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17450 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17451 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17452 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17454 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17459 @findex gnus-unplugged
17460 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17461 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17462 already fetched while in this mode.
17465 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17466 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17467 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17468 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
17469 Source Specifiers}).
17472 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
17473 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
17474 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
17475 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
17476 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
17479 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17480 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17481 then you read the news offline.
17484 And then you go to step 2.
17487 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17493 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17494 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17495 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17496 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17497 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17498 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17499 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17500 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17503 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17504 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17505 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17506 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
17508 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17509 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17510 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17511 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17512 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17513 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17517 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17521 @node Agent Categories
17522 @subsection Agent Categories
17524 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17525 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17526 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17527 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17528 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17529 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17530 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17532 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17533 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17534 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17535 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17536 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17538 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17539 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17540 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17541 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17542 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17545 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17546 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17547 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17548 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17549 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17550 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17554 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17555 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17556 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17560 @node Category Syntax
17561 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17563 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17564 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17565 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17568 @cindex Agent Parameters
17570 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17571 The name of the category.
17573 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17574 The list of groups that are in this category.
17576 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17577 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17578 are eligible for downloading; and
17580 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17581 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17582 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17583 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17585 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17586 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17587 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17588 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17589 only groups that should not be expired.
17591 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17592 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17593 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17595 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17596 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17598 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17599 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17601 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17602 an integer that overrides the value of
17603 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17605 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17606 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17608 @item gnus-agent-cat-disable-undownloaded-faces
17609 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should @emph{not} display
17610 undownloaded articles using the gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face
17611 faces. The symbol nil will enable the use of undownloaded faces while
17612 all other symbols disable them.
17615 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17618 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17619 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17620 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17623 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17624 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17625 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17626 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17628 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17629 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17630 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17632 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17633 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17634 operators sprinkled in between.
17636 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17638 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17639 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17645 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17646 short (for some value of ``short'').
17648 Here's a more complex predicate:
17657 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17658 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17661 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17662 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17663 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17665 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17666 you want to do, you can write your own.
17668 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17669 bound to the value determined by calling
17670 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17671 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17672 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17673 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17674 predicate to individual groups.
17678 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17679 lines; default 100.
17682 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17683 lines; default 200.
17686 True iff the article has a download score less than
17687 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17690 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17691 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17694 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17695 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17696 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17705 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17706 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17707 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17710 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17711 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17712 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17713 something along the lines of the following:
17716 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17717 "Say whether an article is old."
17718 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17719 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17722 with the predicate then defined as:
17725 (not my-article-old-p)
17728 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17729 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17733 (require 'gnus-agent)
17734 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17735 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17736 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17739 and simply specify your predicate as:
17745 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17746 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17747 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17748 just don't give a damn.
17750 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17751 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17752 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17753 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
17754 parameters like so:
17757 (agent-predicate . short)
17760 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17761 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17762 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17764 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17767 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17770 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17771 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17772 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17775 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17776 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17777 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17778 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17779 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17780 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17782 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17783 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17784 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17785 if it's to be specific to that group.
17787 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17794 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
17795 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17801 Category specification
17805 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17811 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17814 (agent-score ("from"
17815 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17820 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17826 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17827 keywords stated above.
17833 Category specification
17836 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17842 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17846 Group Parameter specification
17849 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17852 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17857 Use @code{normal} score files
17859 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17860 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17861 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17862 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17864 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17865 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17866 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17867 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17871 Category Specification
17878 Group Parameter specification
17881 (agent-score . file)
17886 @node Category Buffer
17887 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17889 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17890 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17891 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17893 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17897 @kindex q (Category)
17898 @findex gnus-category-exit
17899 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17902 @kindex e (Category)
17903 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17904 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17905 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17908 @kindex k (Category)
17909 @findex gnus-category-kill
17910 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17913 @kindex c (Category)
17914 @findex gnus-category-copy
17915 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17918 @kindex a (Category)
17919 @findex gnus-category-add
17920 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17923 @kindex p (Category)
17924 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17925 Edit the predicate of the current category
17926 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17929 @kindex g (Category)
17930 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17931 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17932 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17935 @kindex s (Category)
17936 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17937 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17938 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17941 @kindex l (Category)
17942 @findex gnus-category-list
17943 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17947 @node Category Variables
17948 @subsubsection Category Variables
17951 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17952 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17953 Hook run in category buffers.
17955 @item gnus-category-line-format
17956 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17957 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17958 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17962 The name of the category.
17965 The number of groups in the category.
17968 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17969 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17970 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17972 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17973 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17974 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17976 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17977 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17978 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17980 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17981 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17982 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17985 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17986 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17987 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17990 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17991 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17992 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17993 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17994 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17995 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17996 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17997 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18001 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18002 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18003 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18004 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18005 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18006 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18007 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18012 @node Agent Commands
18013 @subsection Agent Commands
18014 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18015 @kindex J j (Agent)
18017 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18018 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18019 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18023 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18024 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18025 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18031 @node Group Agent Commands
18032 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18036 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18037 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18038 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18039 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18042 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18043 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18044 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18047 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18048 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18049 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18050 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18053 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18054 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18055 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18056 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18059 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18060 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18061 Add the current group to an Agent category
18062 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18063 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18066 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18067 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18068 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18069 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18070 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18073 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18074 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18075 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18081 @node Summary Agent Commands
18082 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18086 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18087 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18088 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
18091 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
18092 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
18093 Remove the downloading mark from the article
18094 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
18098 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
18099 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
18100 Toggle whether to download the article
18101 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
18105 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
18106 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
18107 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
18110 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
18111 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
18112 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
18113 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
18116 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
18117 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
18118 Download all processable articles in this group.
18119 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
18122 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
18123 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
18124 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
18125 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
18130 @node Server Agent Commands
18131 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
18135 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
18136 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
18137 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
18138 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
18141 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
18142 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
18143 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
18144 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
18149 @node Agent Visuals
18150 @subsection Agent Visuals
18152 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
18153 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
18154 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
18155 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
18156 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
18157 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
18158 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
18159 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
18160 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
18161 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
18163 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
18164 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
18165 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
18166 way, "If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
18167 less than satisfying unplugged session". For this reason, the Agent
18168 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
18169 the download status of each article so that you always know which
18170 articles will be available when unplugged.
18172 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
18173 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
18174 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
18175 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
18176 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
18177 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
18178 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
18179 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
18181 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
18182 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
18183 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
18184 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
18185 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
18186 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
18187 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
18188 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
18189 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
18191 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
18192 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
18193 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
18194 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
18195 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear.
18197 For occasional Agent users, the undownloaded faces may appear to be an
18198 absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since most of their
18199 articles have not been fetched into the Agent, most of the normal
18200 faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces. If this is your
18201 situation, you have two choices available. First, you can completely
18202 disable the undownload faces by customizing
18203 @code{gnus-summary-highlight} to delete the three cons-cells that
18204 refer to the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face} faces. Second, if
18205 you prefer to take a more fine-grained approach, you may set the
18206 @code{agent-disable-undownloaded-faces} group parameter to t. This
18207 parameter, like all other agent parameters, may be set on an Agent
18208 Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}), a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic
18209 Parameters}), or an individual group (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18211 @node Agent as Cache
18212 @subsection Agent as Cache
18214 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
18215 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
18216 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
18217 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
18218 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
18219 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
18220 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
18221 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
18222 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
18224 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
18225 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
18226 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
18227 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
18228 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18231 @subsection Agent Expiry
18233 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18234 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18235 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18236 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18237 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18238 @cindex agent expiry
18239 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18242 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18243 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18244 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18245 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18246 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18247 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18248 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18249 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18251 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18252 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18253 synchronized with the group.
18255 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18256 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18258 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18259 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18260 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18261 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18262 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18263 be kept indefinitely.
18265 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18266 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18267 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18268 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18270 @node Agent Regeneration
18271 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18273 @cindex agent regeneration
18274 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18275 @cindex regeneration
18277 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18278 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18279 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18280 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18281 internal inconsistencies.
18283 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18284 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18285 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18286 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18287 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18288 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18290 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18291 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18292 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18293 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18294 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18295 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18297 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18298 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18299 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18300 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18301 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18302 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18305 @node Agent and IMAP
18306 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18308 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18309 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18310 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18311 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18313 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18314 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18315 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18316 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18318 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18319 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18320 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18321 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18323 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18324 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18325 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18326 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18327 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18328 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18330 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18331 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18332 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18333 in the group buffer.
18335 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18336 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18341 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18344 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18348 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18349 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18350 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18351 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group and
18352 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18353 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18354 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18355 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18358 @node Outgoing Messages
18359 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18361 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18362 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18363 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18365 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18366 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18367 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18368 messages in the draft group.
18372 @node Agent Variables
18373 @subsection Agent Variables
18376 @item gnus-agent-directory
18377 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18378 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18379 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18381 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18382 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18383 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18384 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18385 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18388 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18389 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18390 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18392 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18393 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18394 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18396 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18397 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18398 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18400 @item gnus-agent-cache
18401 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18402 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18403 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18404 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18406 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18407 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18408 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18409 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18410 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18411 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18412 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18415 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18416 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18417 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18418 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18419 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18420 read. The default is t.
18422 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18423 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18424 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18425 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
18426 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
18427 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
18428 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
18429 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
18430 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
18431 over and over again.
18433 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18434 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18435 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18436 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18437 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18438 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18439 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18440 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18441 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18442 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18443 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18444 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18447 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18448 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18449 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18450 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18451 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18452 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18453 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18454 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18455 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18457 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18458 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18459 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
18460 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18461 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18462 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18464 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18465 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18466 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18467 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18468 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18473 @node Example Setup
18474 @subsection Example Setup
18476 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18477 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18478 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18481 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18482 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18483 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18485 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18486 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18487 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18489 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18490 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18492 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18493 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18494 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18497 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18498 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18501 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18502 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18503 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18504 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18505 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18508 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18509 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18510 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18511 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18512 back all the killed groups.)
18514 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18515 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18516 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18519 @node Batching Agents
18520 @subsection Batching Agents
18521 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18523 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18524 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18525 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18527 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18528 following incantation:
18532 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18536 @node Agent Caveats
18537 @subsection Agent Caveats
18539 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18540 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18544 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18546 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18547 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18548 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18550 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18551 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18553 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18557 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18558 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18559 locally stored articles.
18566 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18567 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18568 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18571 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18572 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18573 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18574 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18575 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18577 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18578 before generating the summary buffer.
18580 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18581 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18582 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18584 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18585 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18586 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18587 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18590 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18591 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18592 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18593 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18594 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18595 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18596 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18597 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18598 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18599 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18600 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18601 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18602 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18603 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18604 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18605 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18606 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18610 @node Summary Score Commands
18611 @section Summary Score Commands
18612 @cindex score commands
18614 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18615 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18616 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18617 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18618 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18620 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18621 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18622 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18623 score file the current one.
18625 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18630 @kindex V s (Summary)
18631 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18632 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18635 @kindex V S (Summary)
18636 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18637 Display the score of the current article
18638 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18641 @kindex V t (Summary)
18642 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18643 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18644 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18645 can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
18646 When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
18647 bring you to this string in the score file.
18650 @kindex V w (Summary)
18651 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18652 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18655 @kindex V R (Summary)
18656 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18657 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18658 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18659 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18660 effect you're having.
18663 @kindex V c (Summary)
18664 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18665 Make a different score file the current
18666 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18669 @kindex V e (Summary)
18670 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18671 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18672 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18676 @kindex V f (Summary)
18677 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18678 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18679 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18682 @kindex V F (Summary)
18683 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18684 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18685 after editing score files.
18688 @kindex V C (Summary)
18689 @findex gnus-score-customize
18690 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18691 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18695 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18700 @kindex V m (Summary)
18701 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18702 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18703 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18706 @kindex V x (Summary)
18707 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18708 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18709 expunge all articles below this score
18710 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18713 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18714 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18717 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18718 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18722 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18723 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18725 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18726 keys are available:
18730 Score on the author name.
18733 Score on the subject line.
18736 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18739 Score on the @code{References} line.
18745 Score on the number of lines.
18748 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18751 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18752 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18755 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18756 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18757 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18766 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18772 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18773 what headers you are scoring on.
18785 Substring matching.
18788 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18817 Greater than number.
18822 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18823 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18824 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18829 Temporary score entry.
18832 Permanent score entry.
18835 Immediately scoring.
18839 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18840 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18841 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18845 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18846 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18847 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18848 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18850 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18851 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18852 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18853 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18854 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18856 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18857 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18858 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18859 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18860 current score file.
18862 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18863 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18864 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18867 @node Group Score Commands
18868 @section Group Score Commands
18869 @cindex group score commands
18871 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18876 @kindex W f (Group)
18877 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18878 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18879 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18880 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18884 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18886 @findex gnus-batch-score
18887 @cindex batch scoring
18889 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18893 @node Score Variables
18894 @section Score Variables
18895 @cindex score variables
18899 @item gnus-use-scoring
18900 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18901 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18902 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18904 @item gnus-kill-killed
18905 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18906 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18907 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18908 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18909 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18910 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18911 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18913 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18914 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18915 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18916 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18917 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18919 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18920 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18921 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18922 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18924 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18925 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18926 @cindex score cache
18927 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18928 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18929 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18930 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18931 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18932 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18933 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18936 @item gnus-save-score
18937 @vindex gnus-save-score
18938 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18939 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18940 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18942 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18943 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18944 across group visits.
18946 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18947 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18948 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18949 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18950 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18951 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18952 manually entered data.
18954 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18955 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18956 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18958 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18959 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18960 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18961 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18962 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18963 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18965 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18966 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18967 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18968 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18970 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18971 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18972 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18973 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18975 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18976 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18977 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18978 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18980 Predefined functions available are:
18983 @item gnus-score-find-single
18984 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18985 Only apply the group's own score file.
18987 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18988 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18989 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18990 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18991 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18992 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18993 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18994 then a regexp match is done.
18996 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18997 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18999 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19000 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19001 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19002 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19004 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19005 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19006 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19007 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19008 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19012 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19013 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19014 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19015 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19016 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19017 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19018 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19021 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19022 overall score file, you could use the value
19024 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
19025 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
19028 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
19029 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
19030 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
19031 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
19032 are expired. It's 7 by default.
19034 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19035 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
19036 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
19037 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
19038 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
19039 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
19040 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
19041 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
19043 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19044 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
19045 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
19047 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
19048 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
19049 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
19050 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
19051 threading---according to the current value of
19052 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
19053 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
19054 simplified in this manner.
19059 @node Score File Format
19060 @section Score File Format
19061 @cindex score file format
19063 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
19064 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
19065 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
19067 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
19071 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
19073 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
19075 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
19077 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
19082 (mark-and-expunge -10)
19086 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
19087 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
19088 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
19089 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
19093 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
19094 Scoring}, for a different approach.
19096 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
19097 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
19098 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
19100 Six keys are supported by this alist:
19105 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
19106 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
19107 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
19108 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
19109 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
19110 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
19111 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
19112 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
19113 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
19114 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
19115 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
19116 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
19117 to articles that matches these score entries.
19119 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
19120 score entry has one to four elements.
19124 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
19125 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
19129 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
19130 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
19131 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
19132 is successful. If this element is not present, the
19133 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
19134 instead. This is 1000 by default.
19137 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
19138 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
19139 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
19140 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
19141 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
19144 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
19145 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
19146 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
19147 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
19150 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
19151 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
19152 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
19153 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
19154 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
19155 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
19156 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
19157 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
19158 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
19159 instead, if you feel like.
19162 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
19163 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
19164 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
19165 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
19166 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
19167 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
19171 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
19172 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
19176 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
19177 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
19179 These predicates are true if
19182 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
19185 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
19186 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
19193 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
19194 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
19195 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
19196 it's not. I think.)
19198 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
19199 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
19200 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
19201 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
19204 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
19205 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
19206 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
19207 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
19208 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
19209 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
19210 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
19214 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
19215 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
19216 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
19217 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
19218 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
19219 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
19220 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
19221 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
19224 @item Head, Body, All
19225 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
19229 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
19230 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
19231 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
19232 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
19233 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
19234 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
19235 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19239 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19240 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19241 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19242 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19243 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19244 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19245 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19246 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19247 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19248 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19249 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19253 @cindex score file atoms
19255 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19256 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19259 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19260 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19262 @item mark-and-expunge
19263 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19264 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19267 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19268 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19269 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19270 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19271 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19274 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19275 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19278 @item exclude-files
19279 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19280 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19284 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19285 ignored when handling global score files.
19288 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19289 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19290 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19291 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19294 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19295 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19296 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19297 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19299 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19303 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19306 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19307 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19308 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19309 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19310 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19312 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19313 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19314 scoring rules exist.
19317 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19318 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19319 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19320 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19321 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19322 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19323 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19324 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19325 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19326 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19327 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19331 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19332 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19333 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19334 file for a number of groups.
19337 @cindex local variables
19338 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19339 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19340 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19341 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19342 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19347 @node Score File Editing
19348 @section Score File Editing
19350 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19351 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19352 with a mode for that.
19354 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19355 additional commands:
19360 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19361 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19362 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19363 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19366 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19367 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19368 Insert the current date in numerical format
19369 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19370 you were wondering.
19373 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19374 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19375 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19376 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19377 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19382 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19384 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19385 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19387 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19388 e} to begin editing score files.
19391 @node Adaptive Scoring
19392 @section Adaptive Scoring
19393 @cindex adaptive scoring
19395 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19396 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19397 stupidity, to be precise.
19399 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19400 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19401 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19402 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19403 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19404 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19405 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19406 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19407 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19409 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19410 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19411 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19412 might look something like this:
19415 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19416 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19417 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19418 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19419 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19420 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19421 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19422 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19423 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19424 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19425 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19426 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19429 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19430 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19431 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19432 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19433 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19434 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19437 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19438 will be applied to each article.
19440 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19441 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19442 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19443 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19445 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19446 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19447 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19448 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19450 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19451 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19452 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19453 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19455 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19456 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19457 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19458 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19459 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19460 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19462 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19463 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19464 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19466 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19467 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19468 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19470 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19471 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19472 let you use different rules in different groups.
19474 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19475 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19476 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19479 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19480 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19481 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19482 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19483 the length of the match is less than
19484 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19485 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19488 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19489 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19490 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19491 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19492 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19495 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19496 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19497 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19498 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19499 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19502 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19503 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19504 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19505 score with 30 points.
19507 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19508 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19509 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19510 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19511 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19513 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19514 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19515 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19516 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19517 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19519 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19520 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19521 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19522 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19524 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19525 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19526 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19527 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19529 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19530 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19531 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19532 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19533 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19535 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19536 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19537 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19539 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19540 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19541 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19542 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19545 @node Home Score File
19546 @section Home Score File
19548 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19549 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19550 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19551 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19553 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19554 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19555 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19557 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19558 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19563 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19567 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19568 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19572 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19576 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19577 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19580 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19581 be used as the home score file.
19584 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19587 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19592 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19595 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19596 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19599 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19600 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19602 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19604 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19605 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19608 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19609 Other functions include
19612 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19613 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19614 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19615 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19619 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19620 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19621 their own home score files:
19624 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19625 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19626 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19627 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19628 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19631 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19632 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19633 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19634 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19635 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19637 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19638 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19639 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19640 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19641 precedence over this variable.
19644 @node Followups To Yourself
19645 @section Followups To Yourself
19647 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19648 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19649 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19650 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19651 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19652 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19656 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19657 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19658 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19661 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19662 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19663 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19667 @vindex message-sent-hook
19668 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19669 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19671 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19675 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19676 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19680 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19681 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19684 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19685 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19690 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19694 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19695 is system-dependent.
19698 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19699 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19700 @cindex scoring on other headers
19702 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19703 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19704 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19705 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19706 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19708 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19709 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
19710 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
19711 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
19712 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19714 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19717 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19718 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19721 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19722 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19723 time if you have much mail.
19725 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19726 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19732 @section Scoring Tips
19733 @cindex scoring tips
19739 @cindex scoring crossposts
19740 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19741 the @code{Xref} header.
19743 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19746 @item Multiple crossposts
19747 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19748 more than, say, 3 groups:
19751 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19755 @item Matching on the body
19756 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19757 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19758 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19759 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19760 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19761 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19762 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19765 @item Marking as read
19766 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19767 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19768 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19772 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19774 @item Negated character classes
19775 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19776 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19777 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19781 @node Reverse Scoring
19782 @section Reverse Scoring
19783 @cindex reverse scoring
19785 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19786 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19787 like this in your score file:
19791 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19796 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19797 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19800 @node Global Score Files
19801 @section Global Score Files
19802 @cindex global score files
19804 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19805 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19806 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19808 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19809 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19810 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19812 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19813 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19814 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19815 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19816 files are applicable to which group.
19818 To use the score file
19819 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19820 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19824 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19825 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19826 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19829 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19831 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19832 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19833 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19834 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19836 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19837 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19839 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19840 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19841 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19842 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19843 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19844 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19846 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19852 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19854 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19856 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19858 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19859 lowered out of existence.
19861 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19862 articles completely.
19865 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19866 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19867 old articles for a long time.
19870 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19871 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19872 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19873 holding our breath yet?
19877 @section Kill Files
19880 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19881 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19882 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19884 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19885 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19886 files into score files.
19888 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19889 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19890 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19891 that isn't a very good idea.
19893 Normal kill files look like this:
19896 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19897 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19901 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19902 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19904 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19905 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19908 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
19913 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19914 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19915 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19918 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19919 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19920 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19923 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19928 @kindex M-k (Group)
19929 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19930 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19933 @kindex M-K (Group)
19934 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19935 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19938 Kill file variables:
19941 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19942 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19943 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19944 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19945 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19946 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19947 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19949 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19950 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19951 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19952 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19955 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19956 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19957 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19958 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19959 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19960 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19961 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19962 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19963 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19965 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19966 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19967 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19972 @node Converting Kill Files
19973 @section Converting Kill Files
19975 @cindex converting kill files
19977 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19978 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19979 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19982 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19983 You can fetch it from
19984 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19986 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19987 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19988 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19996 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19997 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19999 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/, GroupLens} is a
20000 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
20001 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
20002 news articles generated every day.
20004 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
20005 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
20006 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
20007 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
20008 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
20009 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
20010 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
20011 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
20015 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
20016 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
20017 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
20018 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
20022 @node Using GroupLens
20023 @subsection Using GroupLens
20025 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local
20026 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html, Better Bit
20027 Bureau (BBB)} is the only better bit in town at the moment.
20029 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
20033 @item gnus-use-grouplens
20034 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
20035 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
20036 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
20038 @item grouplens-pseudonym
20039 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
20040 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
20041 with the Better Bit Bureau.
20043 @item grouplens-newsgroups
20044 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
20045 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
20049 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
20050 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
20051 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
20052 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
20053 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
20054 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
20057 @node Rating Articles
20058 @subsection Rating Articles
20060 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
20061 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
20062 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
20063 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
20066 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
20071 @kindex r (GroupLens)
20072 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
20073 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
20076 @kindex k (GroupLens)
20077 @findex grouplens-score-thread
20078 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
20079 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
20080 threads in rec.humor.
20084 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
20085 the score of the article you're reading.
20090 @kindex n (GroupLens)
20091 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
20092 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
20095 @kindex , (GroupLens)
20096 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
20097 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
20101 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
20102 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
20105 @node Displaying Predictions
20106 @subsection Displaying Predictions
20108 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
20109 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
20110 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
20111 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
20112 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
20114 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
20115 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
20116 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
20117 regular Gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
20118 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
20119 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
20120 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
20121 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
20122 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
20123 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
20124 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
20125 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
20126 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
20128 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
20129 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
20130 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
20131 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
20133 The following are valid values for that variable.
20136 @item prediction-spot
20137 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
20140 @item confidence-interval
20141 A numeric confidence interval.
20143 @item prediction-bar
20144 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
20146 @item confidence-bar
20147 Numerical confidence.
20149 @item confidence-spot
20150 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
20152 @item prediction-num
20153 Plain-old numeric value.
20155 @item confidence-plus-minus
20156 Prediction +/- confidence.
20161 @node GroupLens Variables
20162 @subsection GroupLens Variables
20166 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
20167 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
20168 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
20169 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
20172 @item grouplens-bbb-host
20173 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
20176 @item grouplens-bbb-port
20177 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
20179 @item grouplens-score-offset
20180 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
20181 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
20184 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
20185 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
20186 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
20191 @node Advanced Scoring
20192 @section Advanced Scoring
20194 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20195 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20196 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20197 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20198 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20200 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20204 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20205 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20206 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20210 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20211 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20213 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20214 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20215 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
20216 non-@code{nil} value.
20218 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
20219 operator, and various match operators.
20226 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20227 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
20228 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
20233 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
20234 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
20235 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20240 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20241 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20245 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20246 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20247 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20248 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20249 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20250 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20251 the ancestry you want to go.
20253 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20254 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20255 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20256 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20257 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20260 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20261 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20263 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20264 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20267 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20268 when he's talking about Gnus:
20273 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20274 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20281 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20285 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20292 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20293 really don't want to read what he's written:
20297 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20298 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20302 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20303 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20304 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20311 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20312 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20313 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20314 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20318 The possibilities are endless.
20321 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20322 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20324 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20325 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20326 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20327 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20328 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20329 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20330 @samp{subject}) first.
20332 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20333 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20344 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20345 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20351 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20358 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20359 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20364 @section Score Decays
20365 @cindex score decays
20368 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20369 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20370 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20371 use them in any sensible way.
20373 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20374 @findex gnus-decay-score
20375 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20376 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20377 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20378 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20379 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20380 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20381 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20382 definition of that function:
20385 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20386 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20387 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20389 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
20391 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20393 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20394 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
20395 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
20396 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
20397 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
20399 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
20403 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20404 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20405 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20406 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20410 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20413 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20416 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20420 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20421 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20422 the new score, which should be an integer.
20424 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20425 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20430 @include message.texi
20431 @chapter Emacs MIME
20432 @include emacs-mime.texi
20434 @include sieve.texi
20444 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20445 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20446 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20447 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20448 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20449 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20450 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20451 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20452 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20453 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20454 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20455 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20456 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20457 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20458 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20459 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20460 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20461 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20462 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20466 @node Process/Prefix
20467 @section Process/Prefix
20468 @cindex process/prefix convention
20470 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20471 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20473 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20474 command to be performed on.
20478 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20479 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20480 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20481 with the current one.
20483 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20484 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20485 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20487 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20488 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20491 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20492 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20494 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20497 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20498 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20499 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20500 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20502 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20503 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20504 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20505 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20506 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20507 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20508 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20509 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20511 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20512 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20513 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20514 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20515 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20519 @section Interactive
20520 @cindex interaction
20524 @item gnus-novice-user
20525 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20526 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20527 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20528 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20529 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20532 @item gnus-expert-user
20533 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20534 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20535 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20536 matter how strange.
20538 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20539 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20540 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20541 is @code{t} by default.
20543 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20544 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20545 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20550 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20551 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20552 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20554 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20555 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20556 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20557 rule of 900 to the current article.
20559 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20560 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20561 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20562 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20563 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20564 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20565 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20567 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20568 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20569 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20570 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20571 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20572 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20573 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20574 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20575 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20577 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20578 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20579 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20581 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20585 @node Formatting Variables
20586 @section Formatting Variables
20587 @cindex formatting variables
20589 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20590 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20591 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20592 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20593 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20596 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20597 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20598 lots of percentages everywhere.
20601 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20602 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20603 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20604 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20605 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20606 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20607 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20608 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20611 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20612 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20613 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20614 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20615 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20616 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20617 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20618 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20620 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20621 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20623 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20624 @findex gnus-update-format
20625 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20626 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20627 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20628 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20632 @node Formatting Basics
20633 @subsection Formatting Basics
20635 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20636 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20637 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20639 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20640 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20641 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20642 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20643 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20646 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20647 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20648 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20649 less than 4 characters wide.
20651 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20652 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20655 @node Mode Line Formatting
20656 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20658 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20659 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20660 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20661 with the following two differences:
20666 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20669 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20670 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20671 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20672 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20673 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20674 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20675 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20680 @node Advanced Formatting
20681 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20683 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20684 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20685 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20686 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20688 These are the valid modifiers:
20693 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20697 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20702 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20705 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20710 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20713 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20716 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20719 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20725 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20730 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20731 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20732 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20733 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20734 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20735 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20736 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20738 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20739 last operation, padding.
20741 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20742 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20743 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20744 @xref{Compilation}.
20747 @node User-Defined Specs
20748 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20750 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20751 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20752 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20753 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20754 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20755 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20756 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20757 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20758 should protect against that.
20760 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20761 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20763 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20764 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20765 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20766 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20770 @node Formatting Fonts
20771 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20773 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20774 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20775 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20776 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20779 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20780 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20781 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20782 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20783 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20784 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20786 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20787 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20788 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20789 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20790 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20791 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20792 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20793 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20794 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20795 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20796 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20799 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20802 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20803 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20804 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20806 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20807 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20808 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20809 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20810 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20811 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20812 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20814 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20815 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20816 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20819 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20820 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20822 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20823 mode-line variables.
20825 @node Positioning Point
20826 @subsection Positioning Point
20828 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20829 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20830 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20832 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20834 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20835 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20836 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20838 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20839 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20840 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20845 @subsection Tabulation
20847 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20848 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20849 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20850 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20852 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20853 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20855 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20856 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20857 This is the soft tabulator.
20859 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20860 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20861 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20864 @node Wide Characters
20865 @subsection Wide Characters
20867 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20868 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20869 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20871 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20872 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20873 these countries, that's not true.
20875 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20876 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20877 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20878 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20882 @node Window Layout
20883 @section Window Layout
20884 @cindex window layout
20886 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20888 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20889 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20890 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20891 @code{t} by default.
20893 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20894 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20896 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20897 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20898 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20901 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20902 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20903 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20907 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20908 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20909 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20910 possible names is listed below.
20912 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20913 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20916 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20920 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20921 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20922 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20923 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20924 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20925 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20926 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20927 size spec per split.
20929 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20930 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20931 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20932 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20933 present) gets focus.
20935 Here's a more complicated example:
20938 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20939 (summary 0.25 point)
20940 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20944 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20945 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20946 occupy, not a percentage.
20948 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20949 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20950 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20951 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20952 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20955 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20958 (article (horizontal 1.0
20963 (summary 0.25 point)
20968 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20969 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20971 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20972 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20973 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20974 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20975 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20977 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20978 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20979 lines from the splits.
20981 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20986 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20987 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20988 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20989 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20990 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20991 size = number | frame-params
20992 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20996 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20997 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20998 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20999 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21001 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21002 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21003 @cindex window height
21004 @cindex window width
21005 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21006 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21007 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21008 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21009 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21010 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21012 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21013 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21014 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21015 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21017 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21018 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21019 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21020 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21021 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21022 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21023 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21024 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21025 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21026 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21027 configuration list.
21030 (gnus-configure-frame
21034 (article 0.3 point))
21042 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21043 @code{frame} split:
21046 (gnus-configure-frame
21049 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21051 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21052 (user-position . t)
21053 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21058 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21059 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21060 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21061 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21062 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21063 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21064 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21065 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21067 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21068 be found in its default value.
21070 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21071 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21072 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21076 (message (horizontal 1.0
21077 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21079 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21084 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21085 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21086 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21091 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21092 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21093 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21094 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21095 (name . "Message"))
21096 (message 1.0 point))))
21099 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21100 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21101 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21102 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21103 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21106 (gnus-add-configuration
21107 '(article (vertical 1.0
21109 (summary .25 point)
21113 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21114 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21115 Gnus has been loaded.
21117 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21118 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21119 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21120 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21121 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21123 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21124 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21125 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21128 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21132 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21133 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21148 (gnus-add-configuration
21151 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21153 (summary 0.16 point)
21156 (gnus-add-configuration
21159 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21160 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21166 @node Faces and Fonts
21167 @section Faces and Fonts
21172 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21173 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21174 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21179 @section Compilation
21180 @cindex compilation
21181 @cindex byte-compilation
21183 @findex gnus-compile
21185 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21186 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21187 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21188 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21189 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21190 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21193 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21194 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21195 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21196 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21197 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
21198 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
21199 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
21203 @section Mode Lines
21206 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
21207 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
21208 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
21209 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
21210 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
21211 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
21212 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
21215 @cindex display-time
21217 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
21218 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
21219 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
21220 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
21221 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
21222 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
21223 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
21224 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
21227 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
21229 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
21230 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
21232 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
21233 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
21234 (length display-time-string)))))
21237 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
21238 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
21239 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
21240 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21241 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21244 @node Highlighting and Menus
21245 @section Highlighting and Menus
21247 @cindex highlighting
21250 @vindex gnus-visual
21251 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21252 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21253 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21256 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21257 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21260 @item group-highlight
21261 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21262 @item summary-highlight
21263 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21264 @item article-highlight
21265 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21267 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21269 Create menus in the group buffer.
21271 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21273 Create menus in the article buffer.
21275 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21277 Create menus in the server buffer.
21279 Create menus in the score buffers.
21281 Create menus in all buffers.
21284 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21285 buffers, you could say something like:
21288 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21291 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21294 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21297 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21298 in all Gnus buffers.
21300 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21303 @item gnus-mouse-face
21304 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21305 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21306 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21310 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21314 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21315 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21316 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21318 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21319 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21320 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21322 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21323 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21324 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21326 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21327 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21328 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21330 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21331 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21332 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21334 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21335 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21336 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21347 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21348 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21349 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21350 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21351 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21355 @vindex gnus-carpal
21356 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21357 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21358 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21363 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21364 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21365 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21367 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21368 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21369 Face used on buttons.
21371 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21372 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21373 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21375 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21376 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21377 Buttons in the group buffer.
21379 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21380 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21381 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21383 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21384 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21385 Buttons in the server buffer.
21387 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21388 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21389 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21392 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21393 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21394 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21402 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21403 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21404 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21405 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21406 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21408 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21409 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21410 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21412 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21413 been idle for thirty minutes:
21416 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21419 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21423 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21426 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
21427 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21428 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21430 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21431 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21432 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21433 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21435 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21436 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21437 @var{idle} minutes.
21439 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21440 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21443 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21444 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21445 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21447 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21448 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21449 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21450 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21452 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21453 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21455 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21457 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21460 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21461 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21462 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21463 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21464 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21465 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21466 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21467 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21468 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21469 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21470 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21472 @findex gnus-demon-init
21473 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21474 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21475 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21476 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21477 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21479 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21480 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21481 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21490 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21491 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21493 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21494 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21495 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21496 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21499 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21500 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21501 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21502 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21504 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21505 this will make spam disappear.
21507 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21510 @item gnus-use-nocem
21511 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21512 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21515 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21516 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21517 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21520 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21521 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21524 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21525 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21526 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21527 people you want to listen to. The default is
21529 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21530 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21532 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21534 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21535 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21537 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21538 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21539 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21540 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21541 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21542 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21543 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21544 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21545 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21546 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21548 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21549 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21552 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21555 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21556 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21559 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21562 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21565 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21566 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21568 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21569 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21570 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21571 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21573 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21574 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21577 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21579 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21587 This might be dangerous, though.
21589 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21590 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21591 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21592 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21594 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21595 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21596 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21597 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21598 might then see old spam.
21600 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21601 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21602 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21603 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21604 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21607 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21608 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21609 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21610 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21614 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21615 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21616 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21617 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21624 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21625 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21626 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21628 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21629 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21630 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21631 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21632 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21633 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21634 @code{undo} function.
21636 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21637 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21638 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21639 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21640 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21641 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21642 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21643 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21644 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21645 never be totally undoable.
21647 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21648 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21650 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21651 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21652 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21653 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21657 @node Predicate Specifiers
21658 @section Predicate Specifiers
21659 @cindex predicate specifiers
21661 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21662 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21663 to type all that much.
21665 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21670 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21671 gnus-article-unread-p)
21674 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21675 functions all take one parameter.
21677 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21678 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21679 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21680 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21685 @section Moderation
21688 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21689 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21690 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21693 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21697 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21700 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21702 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21707 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21708 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21709 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21712 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21713 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21716 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21717 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21721 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21724 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21725 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21729 @node Image Enhancements
21730 @section Image Enhancements
21732 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21733 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21734 taken advantage of that.
21737 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21738 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
21739 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21740 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21741 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21749 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21750 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21751 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21755 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21756 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21757 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21765 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21766 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21767 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21768 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21770 The variable that controls this is the
21771 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21772 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21773 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21774 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21775 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21777 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21778 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21779 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21780 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21783 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21784 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21785 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21786 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21787 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21788 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21789 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21790 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21792 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21795 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21796 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21798 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21799 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21800 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21801 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21802 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21803 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21804 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21805 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21806 header data as a string.
21808 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21809 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21810 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21811 randomly generated data.
21813 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21814 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21815 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21816 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21817 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21819 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21820 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21823 (setq message-required-news-headers
21824 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21825 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21828 Using the last function would be something like this:
21831 (setq message-required-news-headers
21832 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21833 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21834 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21835 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21843 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces'implementations should really be harmonized.
21845 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
21846 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
21847 represent the author of the message.
21850 @findex gnus-article-display-face
21851 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
21852 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
21855 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21856 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
21858 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
21859 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
21860 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
21862 @findex gnus-face-from-file
21863 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
21864 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
21865 converts the file to Face format by using the
21866 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
21868 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
21869 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21872 (setq message-required-news-headers
21873 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21874 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
21875 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
21880 @subsection Smileys
21885 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21890 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21891 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21893 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21894 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21897 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21900 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21901 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21902 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21903 text and maps that to file names.
21905 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21906 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21907 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21908 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21909 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21912 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21917 @item smiley-data-directory
21918 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21919 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21921 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21922 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21923 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21937 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21938 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
21939 over your shoulder as you read news.
21941 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21950 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21951 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21952 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21953 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21954 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21955 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21956 @code{GIF} formats.
21959 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21960 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21961 point your Web browser at
21962 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21964 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21965 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21967 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21968 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21971 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21975 @item gnus-picon-databases
21976 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21977 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21978 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21979 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21980 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21982 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21983 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21984 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21985 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21987 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21988 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21989 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21990 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21992 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21993 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21994 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21995 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21996 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21998 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21999 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22000 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22001 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22007 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22010 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22011 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22012 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22013 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22014 unusual directory structure.
22016 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22017 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
22018 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
22019 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
22021 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22022 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
22023 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
22024 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
22025 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
22026 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
22028 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22029 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22030 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22035 @subsubsection Toolbar
22039 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22040 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22041 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
22042 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
22043 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
22045 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22046 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22047 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22049 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22050 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22051 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22053 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22054 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22055 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22066 @node Fuzzy Matching
22067 @section Fuzzy Matching
22068 @cindex fuzzy matching
22070 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22071 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22073 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22074 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22075 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22077 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22078 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22079 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22080 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22081 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22084 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22085 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22089 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22091 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22092 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22093 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22094 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22095 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22096 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22097 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22098 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22101 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22102 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22103 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22104 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22105 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22106 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22108 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22111 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22112 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22113 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22114 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22115 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22116 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22119 @node The problem of spam
22120 @subsection The problem of spam
22122 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22123 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22125 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22127 First, some background on spam.
22129 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22130 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
22131 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
22132 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
22133 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
22134 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
22135 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
22136 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
22138 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
22139 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
22140 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
22141 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
22142 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
22143 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
22144 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
22145 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
22146 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
22149 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
22150 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
22151 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
22152 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
22153 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
22154 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
22155 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
22156 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
22157 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
22158 mail can be useful.
22160 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
22161 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
22162 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
22163 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
22164 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into
22165 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the
22166 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
22167 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
22168 message is spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
22170 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
22171 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
22172 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
22173 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
22174 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
22175 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
22176 because of the incident.
22178 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
22179 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
22180 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
22181 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
22182 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
22183 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
22184 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
22185 to store the database of spam analyses.
22187 @node Anti-Spam Basics
22188 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
22192 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22194 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
22195 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
22197 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
22198 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
22199 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
22200 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
22201 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
22202 part of the mail address.)
22205 (setq message-default-news-headers
22206 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
22209 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22210 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22214 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
22215 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
22216 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
22221 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
22222 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
22223 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
22224 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
22226 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
22227 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
22228 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
22229 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
22230 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
22231 your fancy split rule in this way:
22236 (to "larsi" "misc")
22240 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
22241 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
22242 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
22243 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
22244 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
22246 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
22247 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
22248 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
22249 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
22254 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
22255 @cindex SpamAssassin
22256 @cindex Vipul's Razor
22259 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
22260 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
22261 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
22262 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
22263 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
22264 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
22265 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
22267 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
22268 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
22269 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
22270 Specifiers}) follow.
22274 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22278 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22281 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22282 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22283 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22286 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22290 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22293 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22294 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22298 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22299 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22300 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22301 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22304 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22306 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22310 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22311 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22315 Note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will not be
22316 downloaded by default. You need to set
22317 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to t to do that (@pxref{Splitting in
22320 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22321 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22322 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22325 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22326 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22328 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22329 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22330 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22334 @subsection Hashcash
22337 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22338 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22339 you cannot rely on everyone in the world using this technique,
22340 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22341 in smaller communities.
22343 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22344 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22345 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22346 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22347 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22348 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
22349 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22350 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22351 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22352 one of them separately.
22355 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22356 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22357 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22358 header. For more details, and for the external application
22359 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22360 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22361 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22363 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22367 (require 'hashcash)
22368 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22371 The @file{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22372 contrib directory or at
22373 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22375 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22379 @item hashcash-default-payment
22380 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22381 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22382 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22383 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22385 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22386 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22387 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22388 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22389 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22390 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22391 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22392 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22393 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22397 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22401 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22402 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22403 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22404 a useful contribution, however.
22406 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22407 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22408 @cindex spam filtering
22411 The idea behind @file{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22412 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @file{spam.el} does two things: it
22413 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22414 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @file{spam.el} to indicate
22417 First of all, you @strong{must} run the function
22418 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @code{spam.el} and to install the
22419 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
22420 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
22421 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
22424 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
22428 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
22430 You get the following keyboard commands:
22440 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22441 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22443 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22444 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22445 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22446 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22452 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22453 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22455 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22461 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22462 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22465 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22466 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22467 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22468 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22469 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22470 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22471 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22472 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22473 will be detected later.
22475 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22476 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22477 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22478 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22479 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22480 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22481 by customizing the corresponding variable
22482 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22483 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22484 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22485 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22486 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22487 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22488 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22491 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22493 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22494 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22495 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22496 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22497 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22498 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22499 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
22500 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
22501 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
22502 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
22503 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
22504 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
22505 processor which will study them as spam samples.
22507 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22508 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22509 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22510 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22511 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22512 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22513 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22514 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22517 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22518 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22519 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22523 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22524 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22528 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22529 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22530 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22531 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22532 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22533 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22536 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22537 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22538 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22539 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22540 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22541 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22542 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22543 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22544 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22545 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
22546 newsgroup specification has the format (REGEXP PROCESSOR) in a
22547 standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually.
22548 The ultimate location is a group name. If the
22549 @code{ham-process-destination} parameter is not set, ham articles are
22550 left in place. If the
22551 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22552 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22554 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22555 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22557 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
22558 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
22559 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
22560 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
22561 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
22563 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
22564 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
22565 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
22566 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
22567 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
22570 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22571 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22572 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22573 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22574 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22575 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22576 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22577 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each newsgroup specification has
22578 the repeated format (REGEXP PROCESSOR) and they are all in a standard
22579 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. The
22580 ultimate location is a group name. If the
22581 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
22582 articles are only expired.
22584 To use the @file{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22585 must add the following to your fancy split list
22586 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22592 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22593 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22594 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22596 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22597 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22598 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22599 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
22600 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
22601 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
22602 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
22603 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
22604 actually give you the group
22605 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
22606 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
22608 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22609 e.g. @samp{'spam-use-regex-headers} or @samp{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
22612 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22613 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22616 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22617 (any "ding" "ding")
22623 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22624 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22625 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22626 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22627 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22628 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22630 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
22631 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22632 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22635 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22636 ;;; all spam detected by spam-use-regex-headers goes to "regex-spam"
22637 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22638 (any "ding" "ding")
22639 ;;; all other spam detected by spam-split goes to spam-split-group
22645 Basically, this lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks
22646 depending on your particular needs, and to target the results of those
22647 checks to a particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail
22648 into all the spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that
22649 messages to mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have
22650 resource-intensive blackhole checks performed on them. You could also
22651 specify different spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap
22654 You still have to have specific checks such as
22655 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you specifically
22656 invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is that when
22657 loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on
22658 what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
22660 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22662 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22663 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22664 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22665 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22666 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22667 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22668 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22669 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22671 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22673 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22674 into a back end. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22675 longer spam or ham.}
22677 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22678 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22681 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22682 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22685 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22686 * BBDB Whitelists::
22687 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22688 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22690 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22692 * ifile spam filtering::
22693 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22695 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22698 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22699 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22700 @cindex spam filtering
22701 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22702 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22705 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22707 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22708 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22709 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22710 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22715 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22717 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22718 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22719 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22720 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22721 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22725 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22727 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22728 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22729 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22733 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22735 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22736 customizing the group parameters or the
22737 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22738 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22739 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22743 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22745 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22746 customizing the group parameters or the
22747 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22748 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22749 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22750 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22751 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22755 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22756 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22757 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22758 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22759 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22761 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22762 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22763 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22764 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22766 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22767 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22768 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22769 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22770 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22771 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22773 @node BBDB Whitelists
22774 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22775 @cindex spam filtering
22776 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22777 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22780 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22782 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22783 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22784 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22785 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22786 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22787 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22788 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22792 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22794 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22795 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22796 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22797 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22798 classified as spammers.
22802 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22804 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22805 customizing the group parameters or the
22806 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22807 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22808 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22809 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22810 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22814 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
22815 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
22816 @cindex spam reporting
22817 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22818 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22821 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
22823 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22824 customizing the group parameters or the
22825 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22826 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22827 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
22830 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
22834 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
22836 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
22837 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
22838 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
22839 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
22840 @code{spam-report.el} will use the @code{X-Report-Spam} header that
22845 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22846 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22847 @cindex spam filtering
22848 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
22851 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
22853 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22854 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
22855 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
22856 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
22857 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
22858 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
22859 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
22865 @subsubsection Blackholes
22866 @cindex spam filtering
22867 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22870 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22872 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22873 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22874 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22875 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22876 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22877 contains outdated servers.
22879 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22880 @file{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22881 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
22882 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
22883 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
22884 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22888 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22890 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22894 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22896 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22897 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
22901 @defvar spam-use-dig
22903 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22904 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22908 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22909 ham processor for blackholes.
22911 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22912 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22913 @cindex spam filtering
22914 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22917 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22919 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22920 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22921 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22922 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22923 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22924 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22928 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22930 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22931 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22935 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22937 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22938 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22942 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22943 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22946 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22947 @cindex spam filtering
22948 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22951 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22953 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22956 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22957 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22958 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22959 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22960 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22961 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22963 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
22964 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
22967 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22968 processing will be turned off.
22970 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22974 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22976 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22977 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22978 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22979 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22980 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22981 installation documents for details.
22983 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22987 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22988 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22989 customizing the group parameters or the
22990 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22991 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22992 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22995 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22996 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22997 customizing the group parameters or the
22998 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22999 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23000 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
23001 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
23002 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
23005 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
23007 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
23008 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
23009 database directory.
23013 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
23014 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23015 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
23016 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
23017 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
23018 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
23020 @node ifile spam filtering
23021 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
23022 @cindex spam filtering
23023 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
23026 @defvar spam-use-ifile
23028 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
23029 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
23033 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
23035 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
23036 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
23037 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
23041 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
23043 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
23044 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
23045 the default value of @samp{spam}.
23048 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
23050 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
23051 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
23055 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
23056 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
23057 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
23058 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
23061 @node spam-stat spam filtering
23062 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
23063 @cindex spam filtering
23064 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
23068 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
23070 @defvar spam-use-stat
23072 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
23073 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
23077 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
23078 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23079 customizing the group parameters or the
23080 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23081 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
23082 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
23085 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
23086 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23087 customizing the group parameters or the
23088 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
23089 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
23090 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
23091 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
23092 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
23095 This enables @file{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
23096 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
23097 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
23098 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
23099 @code{spam-split} are provided.
23102 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
23103 @cindex spam filtering
23107 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
23108 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
23109 installed separately.
23111 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
23112 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
23113 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
23114 mail as a spam mail or not.
23116 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
23117 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
23118 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
23120 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
23121 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
23123 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
23124 To enable SpamOracle usage by @file{spam.el}, set the variable
23125 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
23126 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
23127 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
23128 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
23129 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
23130 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
23134 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
23135 spam-split-group "Junk"
23136 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
23137 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23138 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
23141 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
23142 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
23146 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
23147 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
23148 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
23152 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
23153 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
23154 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
23155 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
23156 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
23157 database to live somewhere special, set
23158 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
23161 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
23162 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
23163 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
23164 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
23165 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
23166 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
23167 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @file{spam.el}'s
23168 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
23169 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
23170 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
23172 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
23173 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23174 customizing the group parameter or the
23175 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23176 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
23177 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
23180 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
23181 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
23182 customizing the group parameter or the
23183 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
23184 to a grup's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
23185 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
23186 messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam} or
23187 @emph{unclassified} groups.
23190 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of an group that has been
23191 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
23194 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
23196 (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle)))
23198 For this group the @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle} is
23199 installed. If the group contains spam message (e.g. because SpamOracle
23200 has not had enough sample messages yet) and the user marks some
23201 messages as spam messages, these messages will be processed by
23202 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}. This processor sends
23203 the messages to SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
23205 @node Extending the spam elisp package
23206 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
23207 @cindex spam filtering
23208 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
23209 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
23211 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
23212 incoming mail, provide the following:
23220 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
23221 "True if blackbox should be used.")
23226 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
23228 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
23233 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
23234 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
23235 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
23237 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
23238 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
23239 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
23243 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
23250 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
23251 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
23254 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23255 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
23256 Only applicable to spam groups.")
23258 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
23259 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
23260 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
23268 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
23269 (spam-generic-register-routine
23270 ;; @r{the spam function}
23272 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23273 (when (stringp from)
23274 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
23275 ;; @r{the ham function}
23278 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
23279 (spam-generic-register-routine
23280 ;; @r{the spam function}
23282 ;; @r{the ham function}
23284 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
23285 (when (stringp from)
23286 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
23289 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
23290 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
23291 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
23292 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
23293 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
23294 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
23299 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23300 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
23301 @cindex Paul Graham
23302 @cindex Graham, Paul
23303 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
23304 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
23305 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
23307 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
23308 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
23309 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
23310 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
23311 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
23312 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
23313 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
23314 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
23315 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
23318 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
23319 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
23320 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
23321 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
23322 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
23323 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
23324 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
23325 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
23327 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
23328 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
23329 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
23330 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
23331 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
23334 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
23335 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
23336 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
23339 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23340 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
23342 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
23343 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
23344 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
23345 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
23346 need several hundred emails in both collections.
23348 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
23349 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
23350 per mail. Use the following:
23352 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
23353 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
23354 is treated as one spam mail.
23357 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
23358 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
23359 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
23362 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
23363 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
23364 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
23365 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
23366 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
23367 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
23369 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
23370 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
23371 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
23372 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
23373 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
23376 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
23377 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
23378 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
23379 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
23382 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
23383 reset the dictionary.
23385 @defun spam-stat-reset
23386 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
23389 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
23390 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
23391 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
23392 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
23393 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
23394 only non-spam mails.
23396 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
23397 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
23398 to update the dictionary incrementally.
23401 @defun spam-stat-save
23402 Save the dictionary.
23405 @defvar spam-stat-file
23406 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
23407 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
23410 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
23411 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
23413 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
23414 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23417 (require 'spam-stat)
23421 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
23424 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
23425 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
23426 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
23427 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
23429 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
23430 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
23431 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
23432 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
23435 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23436 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23440 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
23441 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
23444 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
23445 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
23446 expression are considered potential spam.
23449 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23450 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23451 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23455 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
23456 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
23457 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
23458 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
23459 mails, when creating the dictionary!
23462 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23463 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23464 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23468 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
23469 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
23470 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
23471 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
23472 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
23476 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23477 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
23478 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23479 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23484 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23485 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23487 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
23489 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
23490 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
23491 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23494 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
23495 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
23496 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23499 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
23500 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
23501 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
23502 already been processed as non-spam.
23505 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
23506 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
23507 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
23508 been processed as spam.
23511 @defun spam-stat-save
23512 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
23513 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23516 @defun spam-stat-load
23517 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
23518 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23521 @defun spam-stat-score-word
23522 Return the spam score for a word.
23525 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
23526 Return the spam score for a buffer.
23529 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
23530 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
23531 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23534 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
23535 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23538 (require 'spam-stat)
23542 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
23545 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23546 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23547 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23548 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23549 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23550 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23551 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23552 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23553 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23554 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23555 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23556 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23557 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23558 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23561 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
23564 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23565 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23566 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23567 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
23568 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23569 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23572 @node Various Various
23573 @section Various Various
23579 @item gnus-home-directory
23580 @vindex gnus-home-directory
23581 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
23582 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
23584 @item gnus-directory
23585 @vindex gnus-directory
23586 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
23587 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
23588 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
23590 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
23591 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
23592 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
23593 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
23595 @item gnus-default-directory
23596 @vindex gnus-default-directory
23597 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
23598 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
23599 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
23600 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
23601 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
23602 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
23605 @vindex gnus-verbose
23606 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
23607 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
23608 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
23609 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
23610 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
23612 @item gnus-verbose-backends
23613 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
23614 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
23615 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
23617 @item nnheader-max-head-length
23618 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
23619 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
23620 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
23621 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
23622 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
23623 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
23624 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
23625 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
23626 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
23628 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
23629 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
23630 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
23631 read when doing the operation described above.
23633 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23634 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23636 @cindex invalid characters in file names
23637 @cindex characters in file names
23638 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
23639 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
23640 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
23644 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23649 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
23650 Windows (phooey) systems.
23652 @item gnus-hidden-properties
23653 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
23654 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
23655 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
23656 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
23658 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
23659 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
23660 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
23661 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
23662 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
23664 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
23665 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
23666 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
23668 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23669 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23671 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
23672 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
23673 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
23674 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
23677 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
23685 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
23686 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
23688 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23690 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23696 Not because of victories @*
23699 but for the common sunshine,@*
23701 the largess of the spring.
23705 but for the day's work done@*
23706 as well as I was able;@*
23707 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23708 but at the common table.@*
23713 @chapter Appendices
23716 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23717 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23718 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23719 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23720 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23721 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23722 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23723 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23724 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
23731 @cindex installing under XEmacs
23733 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23734 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23735 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23736 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23737 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23738 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23745 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23746 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23748 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23749 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23750 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23751 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23752 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23754 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23755 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23756 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23757 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23758 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23759 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23761 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23762 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23763 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23764 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23767 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23768 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23769 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23770 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23771 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23772 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23773 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23774 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23775 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23779 @node Gnus Versions
23780 @subsection Gnus Versions
23782 @cindex September Gnus
23784 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23785 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23788 @cindex Gnus versions
23790 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23791 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23792 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23794 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23795 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23797 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23798 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23800 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23801 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23803 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23804 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23807 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23809 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23810 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23811 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23812 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23813 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23814 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23817 @node Other Gnus Versions
23818 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23821 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23822 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23823 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
23824 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
23826 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23827 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23828 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23829 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23836 What's the point of Gnus?
23838 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23839 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23840 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23841 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23842 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23843 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23844 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23845 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23846 keep track of millions of people who post?
23848 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23849 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23850 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23851 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23852 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23853 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23854 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23855 every one of you to explore and invent.
23857 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23858 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23861 @node Compatibility
23862 @subsection Compatibility
23864 @cindex compatibility
23865 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23866 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23867 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23872 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23876 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23879 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23882 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23883 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23884 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23885 important variables have their values copied into their global
23886 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23887 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23889 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23890 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23891 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23892 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23893 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23897 @cindex highlighting
23898 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23899 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23900 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23901 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23902 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23903 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23906 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23907 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23908 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23909 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23911 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23912 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23913 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23914 to stop doing it the old way.
23916 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23918 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23920 @cindex reporting bugs
23922 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23923 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23924 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23926 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23927 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23928 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23929 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23934 @subsection Conformity
23936 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23937 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23945 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23949 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23951 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23952 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23953 We do have some breaches to this one.
23959 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23960 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23961 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23962 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23963 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23968 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23969 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23970 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23971 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23973 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23974 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
23975 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
23977 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23978 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23980 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23983 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
23984 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
23985 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
23986 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
23987 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
23990 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23991 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23992 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23993 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23995 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23996 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
23998 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23999 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
24000 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
24001 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
24002 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
24003 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
24004 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
24005 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
24009 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
24010 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
24015 @subsection Emacsen
24021 Gnus should work on:
24029 XEmacs 21.1 and up.
24033 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
24034 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
24037 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
24038 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
24039 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
24043 @node Gnus Development
24044 @subsection Gnus Development
24046 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
24047 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
24048 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
24049 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
24050 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
24051 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
24052 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
24053 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
24055 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
24056 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
24057 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
24058 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
24059 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
24062 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
24063 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
24064 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
24065 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
24066 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
24068 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
24069 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
24070 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
24071 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
24072 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
24073 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
24074 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
24075 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
24076 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
24077 can't be assumed to do so.
24082 @subsection Contributors
24083 @cindex contributors
24085 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
24086 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
24087 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
24088 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
24089 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
24090 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
24091 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
24092 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
24093 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
24094 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
24096 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
24102 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
24105 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
24106 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
24107 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
24108 functionality and stuff.
24111 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
24112 well as numerous other things).
24115 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
24118 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
24121 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
24124 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
24127 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
24128 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
24131 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
24134 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
24135 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24138 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
24141 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
24144 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
24147 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
24150 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
24151 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
24154 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
24157 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
24160 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
24163 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
24167 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
24170 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
24173 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
24176 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
24177 well as autoconf support.
24181 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
24182 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
24184 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
24199 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
24201 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
24205 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
24215 Alexei V. Barantsev,
24230 Massimo Campostrini,
24235 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
24236 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
24240 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
24243 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
24249 Michael Welsh Duggan,
24254 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
24258 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
24266 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
24268 Michelangelo Grigni,
24272 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
24274 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
24276 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
24283 François Felix Ingrand,
24284 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
24285 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
24287 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
24297 Peter Skov Knudsen,
24298 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
24300 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
24301 Thor Kristoffersen,
24304 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
24322 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
24323 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
24330 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
24335 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
24339 John McClary Prevost,
24345 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
24350 Christian von Roques,
24353 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
24360 Philippe Schnoebelen,
24362 Randal L. Schwartz,
24376 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
24381 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
24401 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
24402 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
24403 (550kB and counting).
24405 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
24408 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
24409 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
24413 @subsection New Features
24414 @cindex new features
24417 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
24418 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
24419 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
24420 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
24421 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
24422 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
24425 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
24426 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
24427 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
24430 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
24432 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
24437 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
24438 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
24441 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
24442 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
24445 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
24448 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
24449 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
24450 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
24453 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
24454 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
24455 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
24456 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24459 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
24460 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24463 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
24464 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
24465 (@pxref{The Active File}).
24468 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
24469 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
24472 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
24473 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
24474 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24477 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
24478 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
24479 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
24482 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
24483 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
24486 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
24487 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
24490 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
24491 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
24494 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
24495 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24498 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
24499 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
24502 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
24503 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24506 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
24509 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
24510 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
24513 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
24514 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
24517 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
24518 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
24521 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
24524 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
24525 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24528 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
24532 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
24536 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
24537 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
24540 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
24546 @node September Gnus
24547 @subsubsection September Gnus
24551 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
24555 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
24560 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
24561 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
24565 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
24566 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
24570 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
24574 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
24575 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
24578 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
24582 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24585 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
24588 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
24591 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
24595 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
24596 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
24599 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
24603 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
24607 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
24611 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
24615 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
24618 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
24619 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
24622 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
24626 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
24627 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
24630 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
24633 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
24634 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
24635 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24638 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
24642 The Gnus cache is much faster.
24645 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
24649 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
24650 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24653 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
24654 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
24657 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
24658 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
24661 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
24662 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
24663 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
24666 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
24667 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
24670 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
24673 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24676 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
24679 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
24682 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
24683 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
24686 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
24690 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
24693 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
24698 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24701 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24705 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24708 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24712 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24715 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24718 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24719 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24722 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24723 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24727 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24728 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24731 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24735 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24736 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24739 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24742 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24746 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24750 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24751 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24754 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24758 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24759 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24762 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24763 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24766 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24770 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24773 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24776 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24782 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24784 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24788 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24795 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24798 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24799 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24802 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24803 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24807 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24808 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24811 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24814 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24815 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24818 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24822 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24823 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24827 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24828 Server Internals}).
24831 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24835 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24838 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24839 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24842 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24843 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24844 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24847 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24848 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24851 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24852 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24855 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24859 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24860 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24863 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24864 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24867 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24871 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24874 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24878 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24879 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24882 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24883 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24886 A new command for reading collections of documents
24887 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24888 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24891 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24895 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
24896 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24899 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24900 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24901 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24904 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24905 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24909 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24913 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24917 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24922 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24926 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24930 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24931 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24934 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24940 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24942 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24947 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24948 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
24949 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
24952 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24953 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24954 group, which is created automatically.
24957 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24961 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24964 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24965 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24968 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24972 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24975 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24976 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24979 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24982 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
24986 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24987 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24990 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24991 control over simplification.
24994 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24997 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
25001 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
25004 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
25007 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
25008 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
25009 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
25012 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
25013 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
25016 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
25020 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
25021 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
25024 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
25025 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
25028 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
25032 A history of where mails have been split is available.
25035 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
25038 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
25039 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
25042 A new function for citing in Message has been
25043 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
25046 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
25049 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
25053 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
25054 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
25057 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
25058 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
25061 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
25064 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
25068 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
25069 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
25071 New features in Gnus 5.8:
25076 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
25077 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
25079 If you used procmail like in
25082 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
25083 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
25084 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
25085 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
25088 this now has changed to
25092 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
25096 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
25099 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
25100 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
25103 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
25104 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
25107 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
25108 called to position point.
25111 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
25112 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
25115 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
25116 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
25119 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
25120 subtly different manner.
25123 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
25124 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
25125 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
25128 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
25133 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
25136 New features in Gnus 5.10:
25141 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
25142 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
25145 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
25147 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
25148 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
25149 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
25150 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
25151 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
25152 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
25153 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
25154 isn't save in general.
25159 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
25160 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
25161 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
25162 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
25167 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} installs key bindings in dired buffers to send
25168 a file as an attachment (@kbd{C-c C-a}), open a file using the appropriate
25169 mailcap entry (@kbd{C-c C-l}), and print a file using the mailcap entry
25170 (@kbd{C-c P}). It is enabled with
25172 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25176 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
25179 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
25184 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
25185 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
25187 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
25188 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
25192 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
25193 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
25196 Retrieval of charters and control messages
25198 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
25199 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
25204 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
25205 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
25206 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
25209 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
25210 decompressed when activated.
25213 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
25214 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
25217 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
25220 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
25221 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
25224 Warn about email replies to news
25226 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
25227 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
25231 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
25232 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
25236 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
25237 opposed to old but unread messages).
25240 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
25241 Gcc articles as read.
25244 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
25247 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
25248 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
25251 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
25252 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
25255 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
25256 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
25259 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
25260 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
25263 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
25265 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
25266 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
25267 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
25268 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
25271 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
25273 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
25274 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
25275 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
25276 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
25277 the second parameter.
25279 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
25280 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
25281 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
25282 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
25283 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
25284 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
25285 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
25286 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
25287 cycle used under Unix systems.
25289 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
25293 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
25295 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
25296 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
25297 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
25298 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
25299 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
25303 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
25305 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
25306 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
25307 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
25308 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
25312 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
25314 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
25315 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
25316 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
25317 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
25319 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
25320 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
25321 message cited below.
25324 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
25327 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
25329 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
25330 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
25331 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
25332 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
25333 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
25336 (setq gnus-parameters
25338 (gnus-show-threads nil)
25339 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
25340 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
25341 (to-group . "\\1"))))
25345 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
25347 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
25351 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
25353 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
25354 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
25355 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
25356 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
25357 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
25358 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
25359 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
25360 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
25361 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
25364 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
25366 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
25367 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
25368 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
25369 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
25370 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
25371 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
25374 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
25375 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
25379 Improved anti-spam features.
25381 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
25382 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
25383 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
25384 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
25385 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
25388 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
25391 Face headers handling.
25394 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
25395 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
25398 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
25401 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
25403 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
25404 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
25405 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
25406 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
25407 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
25408 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
25409 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
25410 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
25411 when getting new mail, remove the function.
25414 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
25416 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
25417 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
25418 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
25419 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
25420 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
25421 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
25422 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
25423 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
25424 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
25425 was inserted directly.
25428 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
25430 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
25431 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
25437 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
25438 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
25439 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
25440 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
25441 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
25442 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
25443 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
25444 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
25445 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
25446 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
25447 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
25448 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
25449 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
25450 is not needed any more.
25453 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
25455 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
25456 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
25457 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
25458 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
25459 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
25463 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
25465 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
25466 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
25469 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
25471 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
25472 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
25473 lisp directory into load-path.
25475 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
25476 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
25479 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
25481 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
25484 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
25486 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
25487 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
25488 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
25489 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
25492 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
25494 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
25496 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
25497 'bbdb-complete-name)
25501 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
25503 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
25504 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
25505 local files as external parts.
25507 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
25508 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
25509 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
25510 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
25511 that support editing.
25514 @code{gnus-default-charset}
25516 The default value is determined from the
25517 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
25518 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
25519 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
25522 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
25524 Add a new format of match like
25526 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
25527 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25529 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
25531 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
25532 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25536 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
25538 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
25539 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
25540 need add those two headers too.
25543 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
25545 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
25546 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
25547 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
25550 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
25551 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
25552 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
25556 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
25558 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
25561 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
25563 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
25566 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
25568 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
25569 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
25570 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
25573 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
25575 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
25579 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
25581 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
25582 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
25583 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
25584 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
25585 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
25586 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
25587 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
25588 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
25591 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
25593 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
25594 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
25595 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
25596 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
25597 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
25600 Extended format specs.
25602 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
25603 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
25604 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
25605 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
25606 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
25607 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
25610 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
25612 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
25613 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
25614 out other articles.
25616 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
25618 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
25619 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
25620 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
25621 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
25624 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
25626 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
25627 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
25628 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
25631 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
25633 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
25634 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
25635 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
25636 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
25637 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
25638 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
25639 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
25640 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
25641 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
25642 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
25643 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
25646 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
25647 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
25650 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
25651 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
25652 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
25653 message, Message Manual}).
25656 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
25657 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
25659 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
25660 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
25661 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
25663 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
25667 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
25668 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
25670 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
25671 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
25672 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
25673 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
25676 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
25679 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
25682 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
25683 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
25686 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
25688 The behaviour for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
25689 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
25690 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
25691 invalidate the digital signature.
25698 @section The Manual
25702 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
25703 either @code{texi2dvi}
25705 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
25706 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
25708 to get what you hold in your hands now.
25710 The following conventions have been used:
25715 This is a @samp{string}
25718 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
25721 This is a @file{file}
25724 This is a @code{symbol}
25728 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
25732 (setq flargnoze "yes")
25735 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
25738 (setq flumphel 'yes)
25741 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
25742 ever get them confused.
25746 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
25747 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
25748 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
25749 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
25750 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
25751 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
25752 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
25758 @node On Writing Manuals
25759 @section On Writing Manuals
25761 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
25762 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
25763 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
25764 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
25765 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
25766 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
25769 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
25770 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
25771 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
25774 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
25775 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
25780 @section Terminology
25782 @cindex terminology
25787 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
25788 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
25789 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
25790 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
25791 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
25795 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
25796 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
25797 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
25798 not posting, and replying is not following up.
25802 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
25806 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
25811 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
25812 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
25813 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
25814 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
25815 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
25816 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
25817 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
25818 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
25819 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
25822 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
25823 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
25824 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
25825 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
25826 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
25827 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
25829 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
25830 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
25831 access the articles.
25833 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
25834 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
25835 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
25840 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
25841 default, way of getting news.
25845 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
25846 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
25851 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
25852 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
25856 A message that has been posted as news.
25859 @cindex mail message
25860 A message that has been mailed.
25864 A mail message or news article
25868 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
25873 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
25878 A line from the head of an article.
25882 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
25883 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
25885 @item @acronym{NOV}
25886 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
25887 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
25888 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
25889 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
25890 normal @sc{head} format.
25894 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
25895 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
25896 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
25897 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
25898 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
25899 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
25901 @item killed groups
25902 @cindex killed groups
25903 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
25904 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
25906 @item zombie groups
25907 @cindex zombie groups
25908 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
25911 @cindex active file
25912 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
25913 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
25914 is rather large, as you might surmise.
25917 @cindex bogus groups
25918 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
25919 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
25920 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
25923 @cindex activating groups
25924 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
25925 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
25926 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
25930 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
25932 @item select method
25933 @cindex select method
25934 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
25937 @item virtual server
25938 @cindex virtual server
25939 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
25940 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
25941 whole is a virtual server.
25945 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
25946 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
25949 @item ephemeral groups
25950 @cindex ephemeral groups
25951 @cindex temporary groups
25952 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
25953 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
25954 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
25957 @cindex solid groups
25958 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
25959 group buffer are solid groups.
25961 @item sparse articles
25962 @cindex sparse articles
25963 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
25964 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
25968 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
25969 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
25973 @cindex thread root
25974 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
25975 articles in the thread.
25979 An article that has responses.
25983 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
25987 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
25988 specified by RFC 1153.
25991 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
25992 @cindex mail sorting
25993 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
25994 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
25995 incorrectly called mail filtering.
26001 @node Customization
26002 @section Customization
26003 @cindex general customization
26005 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
26006 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
26007 for some quite common situations.
26010 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
26011 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
26012 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
26013 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
26017 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
26018 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
26020 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
26021 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
26022 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
26026 @item gnus-read-active-file
26027 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
26028 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
26029 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26030 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
26031 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
26033 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
26034 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
26035 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
26036 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
26040 @node Slow Terminal Connection
26041 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
26043 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
26044 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
26045 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
26049 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
26050 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
26051 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
26052 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
26053 horizontal and vertical recentering.
26055 @item gnus-visible-headers
26056 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
26057 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
26058 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
26059 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
26061 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
26063 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
26064 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
26065 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
26068 @item gnus-use-full-window
26069 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
26070 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
26071 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
26072 want to read them anyway.
26074 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
26075 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
26079 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
26080 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
26081 lines, which might save some time.
26085 @node Little Disk Space
26086 @subsection Little Disk Space
26089 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
26090 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
26094 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
26095 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
26096 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26097 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26100 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
26101 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
26102 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
26103 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
26106 @item gnus-save-killed-list
26107 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
26108 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
26109 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
26110 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
26116 @subsection Slow Machine
26117 @cindex slow machine
26119 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
26120 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
26122 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
26123 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
26125 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
26126 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
26127 summary buffer faster.
26131 @node Troubleshooting
26132 @section Troubleshooting
26133 @cindex troubleshooting
26135 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
26143 Make sure your computer is switched on.
26146 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
26147 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
26151 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
26152 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.3} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
26153 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
26156 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
26157 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
26160 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
26161 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
26162 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
26163 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
26164 something like that.
26167 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
26170 @cindex reporting bugs
26172 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26174 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
26175 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
26176 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
26177 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
26179 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
26180 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
26181 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
26182 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
26185 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
26186 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
26187 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
26188 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
26189 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
26190 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
26192 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
26193 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
26194 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
26198 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
26199 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
26202 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
26203 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
26204 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
26205 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
26206 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
26207 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
26208 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
26209 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
26210 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
26211 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
26212 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
26213 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
26214 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
26215 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
26220 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
26221 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
26222 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
26223 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
26224 helps isolating the real problem areas).
26226 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
26227 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
26228 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
26229 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
26230 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
26231 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
26232 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
26233 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
26234 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
26235 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
26236 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
26237 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
26238 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
26241 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
26242 @cindex ding mailing list
26243 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
26244 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
26245 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
26246 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
26250 @node Gnus Reference Guide
26251 @section Gnus Reference Guide
26253 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
26254 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
26255 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
26256 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
26259 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
26260 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
26261 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
26262 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
26263 and general methods of operation.
26266 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
26267 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
26268 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
26269 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
26270 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
26271 * Group Info:: The group info format.
26272 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
26273 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
26274 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
26278 @node Gnus Utility Functions
26279 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
26280 @cindex Gnus utility functions
26281 @cindex utility functions
26283 @cindex internal variables
26285 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
26286 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
26287 Below is a list of the most common ones.
26291 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
26292 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
26293 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
26295 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
26296 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
26297 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
26299 @item gnus-group-real-name
26300 @findex gnus-group-real-name
26301 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
26304 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
26305 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
26306 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
26307 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
26309 @item gnus-get-info
26310 @findex gnus-get-info
26311 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
26313 @item gnus-group-unread
26314 @findex gnus-group-unread
26315 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
26319 @findex gnus-active
26320 The active entry for @var{group}.
26322 @item gnus-set-active
26323 @findex gnus-set-active
26324 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
26326 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26327 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
26328 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
26331 @item gnus-continuum-version
26332 @findex gnus-continuum-version
26333 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
26334 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
26337 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
26338 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
26339 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
26341 @item gnus-news-group-p
26342 @findex gnus-news-group-p
26343 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
26345 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26346 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
26347 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
26349 @item gnus-server-to-method
26350 @findex gnus-server-to-method
26351 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
26353 @item gnus-server-equal
26354 @findex gnus-server-equal
26355 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
26357 @item gnus-group-native-p
26358 @findex gnus-group-native-p
26359 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
26361 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
26362 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
26363 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
26365 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
26366 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
26367 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
26369 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
26370 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
26371 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
26372 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
26374 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
26375 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
26376 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
26378 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
26379 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
26380 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
26382 @item gnus-check-backend-function
26383 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
26384 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
26385 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
26388 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
26392 @item gnus-read-method
26393 @findex gnus-read-method
26394 Prompts the user for a select method.
26399 @node Back End Interface
26400 @subsection Back End Interface
26402 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
26403 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
26404 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
26405 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
26406 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
26407 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
26409 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
26410 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
26411 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
26412 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
26413 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
26414 been opened, the function should fail.
26416 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
26417 name. Take this example:
26421 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
26422 (nntp-port-number 4324))
26425 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
26426 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
26428 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
26429 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
26430 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
26432 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
26433 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
26434 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
26436 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
26437 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
26438 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
26439 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
26440 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
26441 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
26444 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
26445 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
26446 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
26447 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
26450 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
26451 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
26452 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
26453 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
26454 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
26455 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
26456 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
26457 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
26458 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
26459 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
26461 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
26462 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
26463 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
26464 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
26465 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
26466 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
26467 of numbers as long as possible.
26469 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
26470 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
26471 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
26473 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
26476 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
26479 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
26480 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
26481 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
26482 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
26483 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
26484 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
26488 @node Required Back End Functions
26489 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
26493 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
26495 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
26496 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
26497 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
26498 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
26500 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
26501 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
26502 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
26503 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
26505 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
26506 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
26507 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
26508 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
26509 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
26510 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
26511 number, do maximum fetches.
26513 Here's an example HEAD:
26516 221 1056 Article retrieved.
26517 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
26518 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
26519 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
26520 Subject: Re: Something very droll
26521 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
26522 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
26524 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
26525 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
26526 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
26530 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
26531 these in the data buffer.
26533 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
26537 head = error / valid-head
26538 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
26539 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
26540 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
26541 header = <text> eol
26545 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
26547 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
26548 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
26552 nov-buffer = *nov-line
26553 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
26554 field = <text except TAB>
26557 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
26561 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
26563 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
26564 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
26566 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
26567 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
26568 server. In fact, it should do so.
26570 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
26571 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
26574 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
26576 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
26577 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
26580 There should be no data returned.
26583 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
26585 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
26586 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
26587 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
26588 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
26590 There should be no data returned.
26593 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
26595 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
26596 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
26597 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
26598 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
26600 There should be no data returned.
26603 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
26605 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
26607 There should be no data returned.
26610 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
26612 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
26613 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
26614 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
26615 it would be nice if that were possible.
26617 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
26618 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
26619 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
26620 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
26621 into its article buffer.
26623 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
26624 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
26625 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
26626 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
26627 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
26628 on successful article retrieval.
26631 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
26633 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
26634 making @var{group} the current group.
26636 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
26639 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
26642 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
26645 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
26646 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
26647 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
26648 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
26649 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
26650 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
26651 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
26652 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
26653 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
26657 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
26658 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
26659 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
26663 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26665 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
26666 a no-op on most back ends.
26668 There should be no data returned.
26671 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
26673 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
26676 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
26679 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
26680 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
26683 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
26684 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
26685 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
26686 and the highest as 0.
26689 active-file = *active-line
26690 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
26692 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
26695 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
26696 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
26697 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
26700 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
26702 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
26703 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
26704 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
26705 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
26706 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
26707 clear if the posting could not be completed.
26709 There should be no result data from this function.
26714 @node Optional Back End Functions
26715 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
26719 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
26721 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
26722 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
26723 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
26725 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
26726 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
26727 former is in the same format as the data from
26728 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
26729 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
26732 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
26736 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
26738 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
26739 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
26740 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
26741 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
26742 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
26744 There should be no result data from this function.
26747 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
26749 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
26750 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
26751 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
26752 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
26753 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
26754 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
26755 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
26756 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
26758 There should be no result data from this function.
26761 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
26763 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
26764 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
26765 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
26766 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
26767 propagate the mark information to the server.
26769 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
26772 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
26775 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
26776 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
26777 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
26778 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
26779 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
26780 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
26781 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
26782 possible, not limit itself to these.
26784 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
26785 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
26786 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
26787 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
26789 An example action list:
26792 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
26793 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
26794 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
26797 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
26798 mark on (currently not used for anything).
26800 There should be no result data from this function.
26802 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
26804 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
26805 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
26806 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
26807 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
26808 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
26810 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
26811 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
26812 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
26815 There should be no result data from this function.
26818 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
26820 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
26821 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
26822 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
26823 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
26824 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
26825 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
26826 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
26827 local if that's practical.
26829 There should be no result data from this function.
26832 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
26834 The result data from this function should be a description of
26838 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
26840 description = <text>
26843 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
26845 The result data from this function should be the description of all
26846 groups available on the server.
26849 description-buffer = *description-line
26853 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
26855 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
26856 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
26857 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
26858 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
26859 in the active buffer format.
26861 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
26862 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
26863 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
26864 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
26865 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
26866 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
26867 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
26870 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26872 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
26874 There should be no return data.
26877 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
26879 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
26880 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
26881 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
26882 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
26883 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
26886 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
26889 There should be no result data returned.
26892 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
26894 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
26895 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
26897 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
26898 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
26899 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
26900 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
26901 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
26902 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
26904 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
26905 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
26908 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26909 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26911 There should be no data returned.
26914 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
26916 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
26917 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
26918 this function in short order.
26920 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26921 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26923 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
26924 article for that group.
26926 There should be no data returned.
26929 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
26931 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
26932 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
26934 There should be no data returned.
26937 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
26939 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
26940 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
26941 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
26943 There should be no data returned.
26946 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
26948 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
26949 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
26951 There should be no data returned.
26956 @node Error Messaging
26957 @subsubsection Error Messaging
26959 @findex nnheader-report
26960 @findex nnheader-get-report
26961 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
26962 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
26963 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
26964 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
26965 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
26966 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
26969 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
26971 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
26974 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
26975 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
26976 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
26977 takes one argument---the server symbol.
26979 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
26980 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
26981 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
26984 @node Writing New Back Ends
26985 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
26987 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
26988 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
26989 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
26990 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
26991 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
26994 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
26995 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
26996 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
26998 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
26999 package called @code{nnoo}.
27001 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
27002 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
27008 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
27009 parameters. For instance:
27012 (nnoo-declare nndir
27016 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
27017 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
27020 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
27021 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
27022 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
27024 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
27025 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
27026 a function in those back ends.
27029 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27030 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27031 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27034 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
27035 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
27036 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
27038 @item nnoo-define-basics
27039 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
27043 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27047 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
27048 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
27049 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
27051 @item nnoo-map-functions
27052 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
27053 functions from the parent back ends.
27056 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27057 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27058 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
27061 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
27062 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
27063 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
27064 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
27067 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
27068 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
27069 haven't already been defined.
27075 nnmh-request-newgroups)
27079 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
27080 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
27081 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
27086 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
27089 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
27090 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
27094 (require 'nnheader)
27098 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
27100 (nnoo-declare nndir
27103 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
27104 "Where nndir will look for groups."
27105 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
27107 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
27108 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
27111 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
27113 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
27114 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
27115 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
27117 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
27118 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
27120 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
27122 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
27124 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
27125 (setq nndir-directory
27126 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
27128 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
27129 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
27130 (push `(nndir-current-group
27131 ,(file-name-nondirectory
27132 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27134 (push `(nndir-top-directory
27135 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
27137 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
27139 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
27140 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27141 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
27142 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
27143 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
27147 nnmh-status-message
27149 nnmh-request-newgroups))
27155 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27156 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
27158 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
27159 @findex gnus-declare-backend
27160 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
27161 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
27162 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
27164 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
27165 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
27170 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
27173 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
27175 The abilities can be:
27179 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
27181 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
27183 This back end supports both mail and news.
27185 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
27188 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
27189 articles and groups.
27191 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
27192 true for almost all back ends.
27193 @item prompt-address
27194 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
27195 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
27196 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
27200 @node Mail-like Back Ends
27201 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
27203 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
27204 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
27205 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
27206 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
27209 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
27210 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
27211 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
27214 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
27215 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
27218 This function takes four parameters.
27222 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
27225 @item exit-function
27226 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
27228 @item temp-directory
27229 Where the temporary files should be stored.
27232 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
27233 performed for one group only.
27236 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
27237 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
27238 find the article number assigned to this article.
27240 The function also uses the following variables:
27241 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
27242 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
27243 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
27244 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
27248 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
27249 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
27253 @node Score File Syntax
27254 @subsection Score File Syntax
27256 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
27257 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
27258 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
27260 Here's a typical score file:
27264 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
27271 BNF definition of a score file:
27274 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
27275 element = rule / atom
27276 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
27277 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
27278 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
27279 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
27281 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
27282 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
27283 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
27284 date-header = "date"
27285 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27286 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27287 score = "nil" / <integer>
27288 date = "nil" / <natural number>
27289 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
27290 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
27291 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
27292 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
27293 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27294 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27295 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
27296 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
27297 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
27298 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
27299 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
27300 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
27301 exclude-files / read-only / touched
27302 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
27303 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
27304 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
27305 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
27306 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
27307 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
27308 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
27309 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
27310 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
27311 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
27312 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
27313 eval = "eval" space <form>
27314 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
27317 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
27320 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
27321 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
27322 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
27323 one looong line, then that's ok.
27325 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
27326 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27330 @subsection Headers
27332 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
27333 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
27334 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
27335 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
27337 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
27338 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
27339 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
27340 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
27341 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
27342 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
27343 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
27345 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
27346 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
27347 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
27348 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
27349 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
27351 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
27352 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
27358 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
27359 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
27361 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
27362 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
27363 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
27364 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
27366 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
27370 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
27373 is transformed into
27376 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
27379 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
27380 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
27383 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
27386 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
27387 is slightly tricky:
27390 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
27396 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
27399 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
27405 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
27412 and is equal to the previous range.
27414 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
27415 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
27416 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
27420 range = simple-range / normal-range
27421 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
27422 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
27423 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
27424 number *[ " " contents ]
27427 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
27428 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
27429 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
27430 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
27431 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
27436 @subsection Group Info
27438 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
27439 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
27440 describes the group.
27442 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
27443 second is a more complex one:
27446 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
27448 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
27449 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
27451 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
27454 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
27455 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
27456 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
27457 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
27458 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
27459 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
27460 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
27461 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
27462 this section is about.
27464 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
27465 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
27466 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
27468 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
27471 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
27472 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
27473 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27474 group = quote <string> quote
27475 ralevel = rank / level
27476 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27477 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
27478 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27480 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
27481 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
27482 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
27483 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
27486 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
27487 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
27490 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
27491 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
27494 @item gnus-info-group
27495 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
27496 @findex gnus-info-group
27497 @findex gnus-info-set-group
27498 Get/set the group name.
27500 @item gnus-info-rank
27501 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
27502 @findex gnus-info-rank
27503 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
27504 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
27506 @item gnus-info-level
27507 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
27508 @findex gnus-info-level
27509 @findex gnus-info-set-level
27510 Get/set the group level.
27512 @item gnus-info-score
27513 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
27514 @findex gnus-info-score
27515 @findex gnus-info-set-score
27516 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
27518 @item gnus-info-read
27519 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
27520 @findex gnus-info-read
27521 @findex gnus-info-set-read
27522 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
27524 @item gnus-info-marks
27525 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
27526 @findex gnus-info-marks
27527 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
27528 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
27530 @item gnus-info-method
27531 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
27532 @findex gnus-info-method
27533 @findex gnus-info-set-method
27534 Get/set the group select method.
27536 @item gnus-info-params
27537 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
27538 @findex gnus-info-params
27539 @findex gnus-info-set-params
27540 Get/set the group parameters.
27543 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
27544 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
27546 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
27547 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
27548 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
27549 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
27552 @node Extended Interactive
27553 @subsection Extended Interactive
27554 @cindex interactive
27555 @findex gnus-interactive
27557 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
27558 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
27559 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
27562 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
27563 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
27568 The best thing to do would have been to implement
27569 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
27570 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
27571 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
27572 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
27573 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
27574 @code{interactive}.
27576 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
27581 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
27582 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
27586 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
27587 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
27588 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
27591 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
27595 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
27599 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
27605 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
27606 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
27610 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
27611 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
27612 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
27614 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
27615 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
27616 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
27617 Gnus, that's very useful.
27619 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
27620 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
27621 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
27622 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
27623 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
27624 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
27625 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
27626 following function:
27629 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
27633 (,function ,@@args))
27637 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
27638 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
27639 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
27642 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
27643 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
27644 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
27646 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
27647 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
27648 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
27651 @node Various File Formats
27652 @subsection Various File Formats
27655 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
27656 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
27660 @node Active File Format
27661 @subsubsection Active File Format
27663 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
27664 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
27667 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
27670 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
27671 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
27672 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
27673 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
27674 no.general 1000 900 y
27677 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
27680 active = *group-line
27681 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
27682 group = <non-white-space string>
27684 high-number = <non-negative integer>
27685 low-number = <positive integer>
27686 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
27689 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
27690 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
27693 @node Newsgroups File Format
27694 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
27696 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
27697 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
27698 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
27701 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
27702 Here's the definition:
27706 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
27707 group = <non-white-space string>
27709 description = <string>
27714 @node Emacs for Heathens
27715 @section Emacs for Heathens
27717 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
27718 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
27719 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
27720 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
27721 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
27722 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
27723 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
27727 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
27728 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
27733 @subsection Keystrokes
27737 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
27740 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
27743 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
27744 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
27745 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
27746 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
27747 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
27748 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
27750 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
27751 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
27752 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
27753 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
27754 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
27755 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
27756 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
27758 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
27759 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
27760 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
27761 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
27762 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
27763 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
27764 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
27766 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
27767 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
27768 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
27769 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
27770 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
27776 @subsection Emacs Lisp
27778 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
27779 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
27780 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
27781 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
27783 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
27784 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
27785 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
27786 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
27787 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
27788 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
27789 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
27792 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
27793 write the following:
27796 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
27799 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
27800 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
27801 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
27804 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
27805 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
27806 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
27807 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
27808 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
27810 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
27811 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
27812 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
27816 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
27820 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
27823 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
27824 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
27827 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
27830 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
27831 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
27834 @include gnus-faq.texi
27854 @c Local Variables:
27856 @c coding: iso-8859-1