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335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The Gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
365 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.4.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
407 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
408 * Key Index:: Key Index.
410 Other related manuals
412 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
413 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
414 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
415 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
416 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
419 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
423 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
424 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
425 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
426 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
427 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
428 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
429 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
430 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
431 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
432 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
433 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
437 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
438 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
439 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
443 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
444 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
445 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
446 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
447 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
448 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
449 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
450 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
451 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
452 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
453 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
454 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
455 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
456 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
457 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
458 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
459 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
463 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
464 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
465 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
469 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
470 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
471 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
472 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
473 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
477 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
478 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
479 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
480 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
481 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
485 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
486 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
487 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
488 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
489 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
490 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
491 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
492 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
493 * Threading:: How threads are made.
494 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
495 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
496 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
497 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
498 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
499 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
500 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
501 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
502 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
503 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
504 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
505 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
506 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
507 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
508 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
509 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
510 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
511 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
512 or reselecting the current group.
513 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
514 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
515 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
516 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
518 Summary Buffer Format
520 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
521 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
522 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
523 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
527 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
528 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
530 Reply, Followup and Post
532 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
533 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
534 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
535 * Canceling and Superseding::
539 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
540 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
541 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
542 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
543 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
544 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
548 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
549 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
551 Customizing Threading
553 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
554 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
555 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
556 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
560 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
561 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
562 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
563 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
564 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
565 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
569 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
570 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
571 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
575 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
576 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
577 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
578 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
579 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
580 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
581 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
582 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
583 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
584 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
585 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
587 Alternative Approaches
589 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
590 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
592 Various Summary Stuff
594 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
595 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
596 * Summary Generation Commands::
597 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
601 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
602 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
603 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
604 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
605 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
609 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
610 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
611 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
612 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
613 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
614 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
615 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
616 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
617 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
621 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
622 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
623 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
624 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
625 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
626 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
627 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
628 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
629 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
633 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
634 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
635 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
636 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
637 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
638 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
639 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
643 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
644 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
648 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
649 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
650 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
651 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
655 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
656 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
657 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
658 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
659 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
660 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
661 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
662 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
663 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
664 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
665 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
666 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
667 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
671 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
672 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
673 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
675 Choosing a Mail Back End
677 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
678 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
679 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
680 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
681 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
682 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
683 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
688 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
689 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
690 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
691 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
692 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
693 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
697 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
698 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
699 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
700 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
701 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
702 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
706 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
707 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
708 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
709 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
710 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
714 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
718 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
719 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
720 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
724 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
725 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
729 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
730 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
731 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
735 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
736 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
737 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
739 The Gnus Diary Library
741 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
742 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
743 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
744 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
748 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
749 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
750 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
751 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
752 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
753 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
754 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
755 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
756 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
757 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
758 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
759 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
760 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
761 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
765 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
766 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
767 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
771 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
772 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
773 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
777 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
778 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
779 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
780 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
781 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
782 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
783 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
784 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
785 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
786 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
787 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
788 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
789 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
790 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
791 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
792 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
796 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
797 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
798 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
802 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
803 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
804 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
805 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
806 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
807 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
808 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
809 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
810 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
811 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
812 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
813 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
814 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
815 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
816 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
817 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
818 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
819 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
820 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
821 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
825 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
826 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
827 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
828 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
829 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
830 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
831 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
832 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
836 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
837 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
838 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
839 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
840 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
844 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
845 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
846 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
847 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
848 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
849 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
851 Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
853 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
854 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
855 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
856 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
857 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
859 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
860 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
862 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
864 * SpamAssassin back end::
865 * ifile spam filtering::
866 * spam-stat spam filtering::
868 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
870 Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
872 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
873 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
874 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
878 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
879 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
880 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
881 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
882 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
883 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
884 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
885 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
886 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
890 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
891 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
892 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
893 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
894 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
895 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
896 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
897 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
898 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
902 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
903 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
904 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
905 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
906 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
907 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
908 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
912 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
913 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
914 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
915 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
919 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
920 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
921 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
922 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
923 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
924 * Group Info:: The group info format.
925 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
926 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
927 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
931 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
932 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
933 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
934 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
935 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
936 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
940 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
941 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
945 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
946 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
952 @chapter Starting Gnus
957 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
958 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
961 @findex gnus-other-frame
962 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
963 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
964 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
966 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
967 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
968 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
970 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
971 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
974 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
975 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
976 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
977 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
978 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
979 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
980 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
981 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
982 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
983 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
987 @node Finding the News
988 @section Finding the News
991 @vindex gnus-select-method
993 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
994 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
995 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
996 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
999 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1000 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1003 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1006 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1009 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1012 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1013 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1014 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1015 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1017 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1019 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1020 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1021 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1022 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1023 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1024 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1025 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1027 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1028 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1029 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1030 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1032 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1033 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1034 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1035 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1036 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1037 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1038 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1039 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1040 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1043 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1045 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1046 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1047 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1048 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1049 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1050 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1052 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1054 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1055 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1056 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1057 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1058 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1059 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1062 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1063 you would typically set this variable to
1066 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1069 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1070 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1071 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1072 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1075 @node The First Time
1076 @section The First Time
1077 @cindex first time usage
1079 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1080 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1082 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1083 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1084 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1085 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1088 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1089 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1090 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1092 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1093 help you with most common problems.
1095 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1096 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1100 @node The Server is Down
1101 @section The Server is Down
1102 @cindex server errors
1104 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1105 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1106 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1108 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1109 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1110 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1111 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1112 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1113 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1114 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1116 @findex gnus-no-server
1117 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1119 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1120 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1121 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1122 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1123 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1124 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1125 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1129 @section Slave Gnusae
1132 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1133 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1134 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1135 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1137 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1138 @file{.newsrc} file.
1140 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1141 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1142 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1143 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1144 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1145 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1146 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1149 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1150 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1151 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1152 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1153 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1154 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1155 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1156 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1158 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1159 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1161 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1162 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1163 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1164 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1165 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1172 @cindex subscription
1174 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1175 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1176 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1177 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1178 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1179 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1180 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1181 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1182 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1185 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1186 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1187 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1191 @node Checking New Groups
1192 @subsection Checking New Groups
1194 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1195 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1196 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1197 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1198 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1199 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1200 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1201 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1202 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1203 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1205 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1206 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1207 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1208 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1209 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1210 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1211 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1212 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1213 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1214 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1215 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1217 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1218 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1219 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1220 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1221 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1222 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1225 @node Subscription Methods
1226 @subsection Subscription Methods
1228 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1229 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1230 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1232 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1233 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1235 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1239 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1240 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1241 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1242 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1243 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1245 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1247 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1248 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1250 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1251 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1252 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1254 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1255 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1256 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1257 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1258 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1259 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1260 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1261 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1262 up. Or something like that.
1264 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1265 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1266 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1267 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1268 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1270 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1271 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1272 Kill all new groups.
1274 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1275 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1276 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1277 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1278 topic parameter that looks like
1284 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1287 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1292 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1293 A closely related variable is
1294 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1295 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1296 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1297 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1300 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1301 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1302 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1303 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1306 @node Filtering New Groups
1307 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1309 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1310 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1311 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1314 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1317 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1318 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1319 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1320 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1321 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1322 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1323 subscribing these groups.
1324 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1325 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1327 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1328 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1329 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1330 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1331 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1332 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1333 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1334 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1336 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1337 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1338 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1339 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1340 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1341 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1342 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1343 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1344 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1345 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1348 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1349 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1352 @node Changing Servers
1353 @section Changing Servers
1354 @cindex changing servers
1356 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1357 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1358 very flaky and you want to use another.
1360 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1361 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1365 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1366 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1367 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1368 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1371 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1372 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1373 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1374 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1376 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1377 @findex gnus-change-server
1378 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1379 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1380 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1381 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1382 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1384 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1385 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1386 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1387 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1388 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1390 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1391 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1392 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1393 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1394 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1395 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1397 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1398 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1399 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1400 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1402 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1403 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1404 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1405 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1406 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1407 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1408 cache for all groups).
1412 @section Startup Files
1413 @cindex startup files
1418 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1419 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1420 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1423 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1424 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1425 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1426 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1427 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1428 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1429 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1431 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1432 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1433 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1434 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1435 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1436 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1438 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1439 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1440 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1441 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1442 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1443 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1444 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1445 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1446 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1447 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1448 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1451 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1452 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1453 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1454 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1455 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1456 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1457 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1458 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1459 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1460 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1461 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1462 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1464 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1465 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1466 @vindex version-control
1467 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1468 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1469 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1470 If you want version control for this file, set
1471 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1472 @code{version-control} variable.
1474 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1475 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1476 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1477 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1478 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1479 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1480 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1481 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1482 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1483 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1486 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1487 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1489 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1490 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1493 @vindex gnus-init-file
1494 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1495 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1496 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1497 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1498 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1499 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1500 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1501 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1502 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1503 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1504 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1505 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1506 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1511 @cindex dribble file
1514 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1515 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1516 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1517 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1518 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1521 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1522 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1525 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1526 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1527 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1529 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1530 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1531 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1532 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1533 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1534 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1536 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1537 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1538 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1541 @node The Active File
1542 @section The Active File
1544 @cindex ignored groups
1546 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1547 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1548 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1550 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1551 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1552 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1553 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1554 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1555 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1556 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1559 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1560 @c if you set it to anything else.
1562 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1564 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1565 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1566 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1568 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1569 you actually subscribe to.
1571 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1572 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1573 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1574 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1576 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1577 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1578 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1579 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1580 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1581 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1583 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1584 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1585 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1588 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1589 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1590 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1591 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1592 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1593 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1595 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1596 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1598 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1599 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1601 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1602 secondary select methods.
1605 @node Startup Variables
1606 @section Startup Variables
1610 @item gnus-load-hook
1611 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1612 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1613 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1614 times you start Gnus.
1616 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1617 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1618 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1620 @item gnus-startup-hook
1621 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1622 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1624 @item gnus-started-hook
1625 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1626 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1629 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1630 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1631 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1632 generating the group buffer.
1634 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1635 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1636 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1637 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1638 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1639 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1640 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1641 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1643 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1644 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1645 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1646 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1647 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1648 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1650 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1651 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1652 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1654 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1655 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1656 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1658 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1659 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1660 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1661 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1667 @chapter Group Buffer
1668 @cindex group buffer
1670 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1672 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1673 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1674 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1675 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1676 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1677 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1678 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1679 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1680 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1681 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1682 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1683 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1684 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1685 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1686 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1687 @c human rights at 9...
1690 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1691 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1692 long as Gnus is active.
1696 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1697 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1698 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1699 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1700 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1701 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1702 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1703 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1709 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1710 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1711 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1712 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1713 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1714 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1715 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1716 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1717 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1718 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1719 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1720 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1721 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1722 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1723 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1724 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1725 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1729 @node Group Buffer Format
1730 @section Group Buffer Format
1733 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1734 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1735 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1739 @node Group Line Specification
1740 @subsection Group Line Specification
1741 @cindex group buffer format
1743 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1744 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1746 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1749 25: news.announce.newusers
1750 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1755 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1756 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1757 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1758 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1760 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1761 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1762 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1763 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1764 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1765 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1767 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1769 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1770 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1771 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1772 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1773 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1775 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1776 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1777 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1779 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1784 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1787 Whether the group is subscribed.
1790 Level of subscribedness.
1793 Number of unread articles.
1796 Number of dormant articles.
1799 Number of ticked articles.
1802 Number of read articles.
1805 Number of unseen articles.
1808 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1809 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1811 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1812 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1813 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1814 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1815 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1816 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1817 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1818 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1821 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1824 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1833 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1834 comment element in the group parameters.
1837 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1838 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1839 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1843 @samp{m} if moderated.
1846 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1852 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1858 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1862 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1865 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1866 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1867 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1868 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1869 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1872 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1874 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1878 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1881 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1885 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1886 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1887 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1888 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1891 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1892 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1893 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1894 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1895 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1896 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1901 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1902 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1903 group, or a bogus native group.
1906 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1907 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1908 @cindex group mode line
1910 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1911 The mode line can be changed by setting
1912 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1913 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1917 The native news server.
1919 The native select method.
1923 @node Group Highlighting
1924 @subsection Group Highlighting
1925 @cindex highlighting
1926 @cindex group highlighting
1928 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1929 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1930 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1931 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1932 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1934 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1938 (cond (window-system
1939 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1940 (defface my-group-face-1
1941 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1942 (defface my-group-face-2
1943 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1944 "Second group face")
1945 (defface my-group-face-3
1946 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1947 (defface my-group-face-4
1948 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1949 (defface my-group-face-5
1950 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1952 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1953 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1954 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1955 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1956 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1957 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1960 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1962 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1969 The number of unread articles in the group.
1973 Whether the group is a mail group.
1975 The level of the group.
1977 The score of the group.
1979 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1981 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1982 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1984 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1985 topic being inserted.
1988 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1989 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1990 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1992 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1993 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1994 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1995 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1996 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1999 @node Group Maneuvering
2000 @section Group Maneuvering
2001 @cindex group movement
2003 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2004 expected, hopefully.
2010 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2011 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2012 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2018 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2019 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2020 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2024 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2025 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2029 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2030 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2034 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2035 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2036 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2040 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2041 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2042 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2045 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2051 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2052 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2053 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2058 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2059 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2060 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2064 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2065 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2066 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2069 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2070 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2071 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2072 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2076 @node Selecting a Group
2077 @section Selecting a Group
2078 @cindex group selection
2083 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2084 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2085 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2086 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2087 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2088 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2089 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2090 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2091 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2092 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2094 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2095 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2096 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2098 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2099 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2104 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2105 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2106 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2107 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2108 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2112 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2113 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2114 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2115 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2116 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2117 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2118 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2119 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2120 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2121 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2124 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2125 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2126 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2127 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2128 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2131 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2132 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2133 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2134 doing any processing of its contents
2135 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2136 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2137 manner will have no permanent effects.
2141 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2142 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2143 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2144 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2145 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2146 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2147 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2148 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2149 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2150 most recently will be fetched.
2152 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2153 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2154 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2157 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2158 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2159 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2160 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2161 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2162 Which article this is is controlled by the
2163 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2169 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2172 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2175 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2177 @item unseen-or-unread
2178 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2179 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2183 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2187 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2188 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2190 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2191 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2192 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2193 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2197 @node Subscription Commands
2198 @section Subscription Commands
2199 @cindex subscription
2207 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2208 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2209 Toggle subscription to the current group
2210 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2216 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2217 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2218 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2219 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2225 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2226 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2227 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2233 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2234 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2237 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2238 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2239 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2240 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2241 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2247 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2248 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2252 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2253 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2256 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2257 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2258 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2259 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2260 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2261 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2262 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2263 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2264 @file{.newsrc} file.
2268 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2278 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2279 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2280 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2281 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2282 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2283 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2288 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2289 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2290 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2294 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2295 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2296 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2298 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2299 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2300 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2301 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2302 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2303 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2310 @section Group Levels
2314 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2315 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2316 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2317 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2318 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2320 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2326 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2327 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2328 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2329 prompted for a level.
2332 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2333 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2334 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2335 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2336 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2337 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2338 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2339 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2340 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2341 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2342 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2343 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2344 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2345 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2346 reasons of efficiency.
2348 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2349 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2351 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2352 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2353 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2354 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2355 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2356 groups are hidden, in a way.
2358 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2359 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2360 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2361 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2362 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2363 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2365 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2366 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2367 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2368 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2369 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2370 list of killed groups.)
2372 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2373 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2374 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2376 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2377 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2378 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2379 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2380 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2381 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2382 relevant valid ranges.
2384 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2385 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2386 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2387 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2388 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2389 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2392 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2393 one with the best level.
2395 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2396 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2397 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2400 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2401 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2402 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2403 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2406 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2407 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2408 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2409 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2411 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2412 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2413 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2414 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2415 to 5. The default is 6.
2419 @section Group Score
2424 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2425 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2426 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2429 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2430 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2431 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2432 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2433 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2434 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2435 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2436 least significant part.))
2438 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2439 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2440 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2441 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2442 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2443 action after each summary exit, you can add
2444 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2445 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2446 slow things down somewhat.
2449 @node Marking Groups
2450 @section Marking Groups
2451 @cindex marking groups
2453 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2454 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2455 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2456 bidding on those groups.
2458 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2459 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2460 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2468 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2469 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2475 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2476 Remove the mark from the current group
2477 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2481 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2482 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2486 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2487 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2491 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2492 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2496 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2497 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2498 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2501 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2503 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2504 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2505 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2506 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2507 the command to be executed.
2510 @node Foreign Groups
2511 @section Foreign Groups
2512 @cindex foreign groups
2514 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2515 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2516 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2517 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2524 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2525 @cindex making groups
2526 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2527 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2528 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2532 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2533 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2534 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2538 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2539 @cindex renaming groups
2540 Rename the current group to something else
2541 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2542 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2548 @findex gnus-group-customize
2549 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2553 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2554 @cindex renaming groups
2555 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2556 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2560 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2561 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2562 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2566 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2567 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2568 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2572 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2574 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2575 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2580 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2581 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2585 @cindex (ding) archive
2586 @cindex archive group
2587 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2588 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2589 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2590 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2591 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2592 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2593 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2597 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2599 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2600 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2601 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2602 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2606 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2608 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2609 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2610 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2614 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2615 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2617 Make a group based on some file or other
2618 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2619 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2620 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2621 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2622 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2623 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2624 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2625 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2626 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2630 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2631 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2632 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2633 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2637 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2641 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2642 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2643 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2644 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2645 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2646 @xref{Web Searches}.
2648 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2649 to a particular group by using a match string like
2650 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2654 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2655 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2656 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2660 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2661 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2662 This function will delete the current group
2663 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2664 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2665 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2666 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2667 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2671 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2672 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2673 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2677 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2678 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2679 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2682 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2685 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2686 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2687 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2688 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2689 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2690 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2694 @node Group Parameters
2695 @section Group Parameters
2696 @cindex group parameters
2698 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2699 Here's an example group parameter list:
2702 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2706 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2707 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2708 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2709 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2711 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2712 is an alist of regexps and values.
2714 The following group parameters can be used:
2719 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2722 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2725 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2726 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2727 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2728 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2729 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2731 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2732 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2733 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2734 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2735 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2736 list address instead.
2738 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2742 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2745 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2748 It is totally ignored
2749 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2750 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2752 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2753 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2754 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2755 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2756 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2758 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2759 @cindex mail list groups
2760 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2761 entering summary buffer.
2763 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2768 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2769 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2770 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2771 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2772 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2773 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2774 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2775 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2778 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2779 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2782 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2783 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2787 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2788 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2789 of whether it has any unread articles.
2791 @item broken-reply-to
2792 @cindex broken-reply-to
2793 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2794 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2795 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2796 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2797 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2798 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2802 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2803 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2807 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2808 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2809 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2814 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2815 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2816 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2817 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2818 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2819 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2820 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2822 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2823 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2824 doesn't accept articles.
2828 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2829 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2830 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2832 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2835 @cindex total-expire
2836 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2837 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2838 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2839 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2842 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2846 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2847 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2848 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2849 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2850 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2851 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2852 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2855 @cindex expiry-target
2856 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2857 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2860 @cindex score file group parameter
2861 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2862 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2863 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2866 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2867 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2868 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2869 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2872 @cindex admin-address
2873 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2874 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2875 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2876 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2880 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2881 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2885 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2888 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2889 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2892 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2896 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2898 Here are some examples:
2902 Display only unread articles.
2905 Display everything except expirable articles.
2907 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2908 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2912 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2913 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2914 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2915 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2916 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2920 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2921 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2922 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2926 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2927 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2928 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2932 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2933 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2934 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2936 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2938 @item ignored-charsets
2939 @cindex ignored-charset
2940 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2941 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2942 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2944 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2947 @cindex posting-style
2948 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2949 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2950 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2951 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2952 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2954 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2955 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2956 like this in the group parameters:
2961 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2962 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2967 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2968 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2972 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2973 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2974 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2975 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2976 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2980 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2981 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2982 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2983 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2985 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
2986 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2987 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2988 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2991 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
2992 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
2996 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
2997 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
2998 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
2999 like the following is generated:
3002 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3003 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3007 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3008 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3010 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3011 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3013 @item (agent parameters)
3014 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3015 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3016 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3017 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3018 minimize the configuration effort.
3020 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3021 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3022 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3023 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3024 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3025 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3026 @code{eval}ed there.
3028 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3029 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3030 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3031 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3032 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3033 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3034 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3035 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3038 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3041 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3042 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3043 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3046 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3049 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3050 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3051 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3052 into the group parameters for the group.
3054 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3055 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3056 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3057 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3060 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3061 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3062 following is added to a group parameter
3065 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3066 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3069 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3074 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3075 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3076 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3077 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3078 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3080 @vindex gnus-parameters
3081 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3082 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3086 (setq gnus-parameters
3088 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3089 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3090 (gnus-summary-line-format
3091 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3095 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3099 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3103 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3106 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3107 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3109 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3110 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3111 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3112 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3113 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3114 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3115 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3116 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3117 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3118 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3119 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3120 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3122 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3123 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3124 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3125 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3126 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3127 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3128 weekly news RSS feed
3129 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3135 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3136 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3137 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3138 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3139 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3141 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3142 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3143 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3144 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3145 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3146 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3150 @node Listing Groups
3151 @section Listing Groups
3152 @cindex group listing
3154 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3162 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3163 List all groups that have unread articles
3164 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3165 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3166 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3167 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3174 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3175 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3176 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3177 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3178 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3179 unsubscribed groups).
3183 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3184 List all unread groups on a specific level
3185 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3186 with no unread articles.
3190 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3191 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3192 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3193 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3198 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3199 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3203 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3204 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3205 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3209 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3210 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3214 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3215 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3216 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3217 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3218 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3219 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3220 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3221 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3225 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3226 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3227 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3231 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3232 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3233 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3237 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3238 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3242 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3243 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3247 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3248 List groups limited within the current selection
3249 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3253 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3254 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3258 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3259 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3263 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3264 @cindex visible group parameter
3265 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3266 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3267 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3268 get the same effect.
3270 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3271 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3272 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3273 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3274 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3277 @node Sorting Groups
3278 @section Sorting Groups
3279 @cindex sorting groups
3281 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3282 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3283 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3284 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3285 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3286 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3291 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3292 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3293 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3295 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3296 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3297 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3299 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3300 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3301 Sort by group level.
3303 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3304 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3305 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3307 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3308 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3309 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3310 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3312 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3313 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3314 Sort by number of unread articles.
3316 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3317 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3318 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3320 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3321 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3322 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3327 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3328 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3332 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3333 some sorting criteria:
3337 @kindex G S a (Group)
3338 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3339 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3340 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3343 @kindex G S u (Group)
3344 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3345 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3346 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3349 @kindex G S l (Group)
3350 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3351 Sort the group buffer by group level
3352 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3355 @kindex G S v (Group)
3356 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3357 Sort the group buffer by group score
3358 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3361 @kindex G S r (Group)
3362 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3363 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3364 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3367 @kindex G S m (Group)
3368 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3369 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3370 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3373 @kindex G S n (Group)
3374 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3375 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3376 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3380 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3381 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3383 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3384 commands will sort in reverse order.
3386 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3390 @kindex G P a (Group)
3391 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3392 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3393 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3396 @kindex G P u (Group)
3397 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3398 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3399 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3402 @kindex G P l (Group)
3403 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3404 Sort the groups by group level
3405 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3408 @kindex G P v (Group)
3409 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3410 Sort the groups by group score
3411 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3414 @kindex G P r (Group)
3415 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3416 Sort the groups by group rank
3417 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3420 @kindex G P m (Group)
3421 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3422 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3423 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3426 @kindex G P n (Group)
3427 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3428 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3429 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3432 @kindex G P s (Group)
3433 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3434 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3438 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3442 @node Group Maintenance
3443 @section Group Maintenance
3444 @cindex bogus groups
3449 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3450 Find bogus groups and delete them
3451 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3455 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3456 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3457 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3458 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3459 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3463 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3464 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3465 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3466 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3467 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3468 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3471 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3472 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3473 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3474 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3479 @node Browse Foreign Server
3480 @section Browse Foreign Server
3481 @cindex foreign servers
3482 @cindex browsing servers
3487 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3488 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3489 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3490 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3493 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3494 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3495 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3496 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3498 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3503 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3504 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3508 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3509 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3512 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3513 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3514 Enter the current group and display the first article
3515 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3518 @kindex RET (Browse)
3519 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3520 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3524 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3525 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3526 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3532 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3533 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3537 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3538 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3542 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3543 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3544 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3549 @section Exiting Gnus
3550 @cindex exiting Gnus
3552 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3557 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3558 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3559 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3560 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3564 @findex gnus-group-exit
3565 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3566 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3570 @findex gnus-group-quit
3571 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3572 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3575 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3576 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3577 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3578 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3579 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3580 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3586 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3587 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3588 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3594 @section Group Topics
3597 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3598 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3599 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3600 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3601 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3602 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3606 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3607 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3618 2: alt.religion.emacs
3621 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3623 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3624 13: comp.sources.unix
3627 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3629 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3630 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3631 is a toggling command.)
3633 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3634 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3635 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3636 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3639 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3640 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3641 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3644 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3648 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3649 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3650 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3651 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3652 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3656 @node Topic Commands
3657 @subsection Topic Commands
3658 @cindex topic commands
3660 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3661 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3662 definitions slightly.
3664 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3665 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3666 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3667 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3668 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3669 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3671 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3678 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3679 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3680 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3684 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3686 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3687 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3688 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3689 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3692 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3693 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3694 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3695 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3699 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3700 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3701 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3702 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3708 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3709 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3710 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3714 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3715 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3716 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3719 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3720 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3721 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3722 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3723 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3725 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3726 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3730 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3731 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3738 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3740 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3741 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3742 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3743 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3744 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3745 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3749 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3755 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3756 Move the current group to some other topic
3757 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3758 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3762 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3763 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3767 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3768 Copy the current group to some other topic
3769 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3770 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3774 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3775 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3776 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3780 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3781 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3782 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3786 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3787 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3788 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3789 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3790 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3791 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3792 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3795 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3796 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3800 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3801 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3802 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3806 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3807 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3808 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3812 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3813 Toggle hiding empty topics
3814 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3818 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3819 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3820 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3821 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3824 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3825 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3826 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3827 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3828 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3831 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3832 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3833 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3834 expiry process (if any)
3835 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3839 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3840 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3843 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3844 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3845 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3849 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3850 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3851 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3854 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3855 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3856 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3859 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3860 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3861 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3865 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3866 @cindex group parameters
3867 @cindex topic parameters
3869 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3870 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3875 @node Topic Variables
3876 @subsection Topic Variables
3877 @cindex topic variables
3879 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3880 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3882 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3883 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3884 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3897 Number of groups in the topic.
3899 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3901 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3904 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3905 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3906 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3909 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3910 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3912 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3913 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3914 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3918 @subsection Topic Sorting
3919 @cindex topic sorting
3921 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3927 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3928 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3929 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3930 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3933 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3934 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3935 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3936 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3939 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3940 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3941 Sort the current topic by group level
3942 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3945 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3946 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3947 Sort the current topic by group score
3948 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3951 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3952 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3953 Sort the current topic by group rank
3954 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3957 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3958 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3959 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3960 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3963 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3964 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3965 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3966 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3969 @kindex T S s (Topic)
3970 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3971 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3972 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3973 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3977 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3978 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3982 @node Topic Topology
3983 @subsection Topic Topology
3984 @cindex topic topology
3987 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3994 2: alt.religion.emacs
3997 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3999 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4000 13: comp.sources.unix
4004 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4005 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4006 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4011 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4012 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4016 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4017 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4018 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4019 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4020 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4021 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4023 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4024 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4025 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4028 @node Topic Parameters
4029 @subsection Topic Parameters
4030 @cindex topic parameters
4032 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4033 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4034 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4035 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4036 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4038 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4043 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4044 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4045 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4048 @item subscribe-level
4049 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4050 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4051 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4055 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4056 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4057 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4058 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4065 2: alt.religion.emacs
4069 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4071 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4072 13: comp.sources.unix
4077 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4078 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4079 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4080 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4081 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4082 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4084 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4085 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4086 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4087 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4088 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4090 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4091 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4092 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4093 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4094 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4095 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4096 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4097 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4100 @node Misc Group Stuff
4101 @section Misc Group Stuff
4104 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4105 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4106 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4107 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4108 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4115 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4116 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4117 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4121 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4122 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4123 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4124 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4125 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4126 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4127 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4131 @findex gnus-group-mail
4132 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4133 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4134 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4135 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4139 @findex gnus-group-news
4140 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4141 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4142 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4144 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4145 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4146 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4147 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4148 for this to work though.
4152 Variables for the group buffer:
4156 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4157 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4158 is called after the group buffer has been
4161 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4162 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4163 is called after the group buffer is
4164 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4167 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4168 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4169 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4170 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4172 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4173 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4174 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4175 whether they are empty or not.
4177 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4178 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4179 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4180 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4184 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4185 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4188 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4189 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4190 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4191 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4192 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4193 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4194 default is @code{nil}.
4198 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4199 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4204 @node Scanning New Messages
4205 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4206 @cindex new messages
4207 @cindex scanning new news
4213 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4214 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4215 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4216 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4217 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4218 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4223 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4224 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4225 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4226 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4227 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4228 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4229 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4231 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4232 @cindex activating groups
4234 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4235 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4240 @findex gnus-group-restart
4241 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4242 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4243 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4247 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4248 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4250 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4251 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4255 @node Group Information
4256 @subsection Group Information
4257 @cindex group information
4258 @cindex information on groups
4265 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4266 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4269 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4270 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4271 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4272 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4273 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4274 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4275 used for fetching the file.
4277 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4278 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4282 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4283 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4285 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4286 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4289 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4290 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4291 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4295 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4296 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4297 @cindex control message
4298 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4299 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4300 group if given a prefix argument.
4302 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4303 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4304 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4305 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4307 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4308 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4309 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4313 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4315 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4316 @cindex describing groups
4317 @cindex group description
4318 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4319 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4320 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4324 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4325 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4326 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4333 @findex gnus-version
4334 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4338 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4339 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4342 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4345 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4346 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4350 @node Group Timestamp
4351 @subsection Group Timestamp
4353 @cindex group timestamps
4355 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4356 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4357 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4360 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4363 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4365 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4366 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4369 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4370 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4373 This will result in lines looking like:
4376 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4377 0: custom 19961002T012713
4380 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4381 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4385 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4386 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4389 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4390 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4394 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4395 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4396 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4397 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4399 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4405 @subsection File Commands
4406 @cindex file commands
4412 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4413 @vindex gnus-init-file
4414 @cindex reading init file
4415 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4416 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4420 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4421 @cindex saving .newsrc
4422 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4423 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4424 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4427 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4428 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4429 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4434 @node Sieve Commands
4435 @subsection Sieve Commands
4436 @cindex group sieve commands
4438 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4439 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4440 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4441 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4442 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4444 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4445 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4446 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4447 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4448 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4449 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4450 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4451 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4452 regenerate the Sieve script.
4454 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4455 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4456 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4457 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4458 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4459 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4460 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4461 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4462 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4463 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4466 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4467 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4472 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4478 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4479 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4480 @cindex generating sieve script
4481 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4482 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4486 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4487 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4488 @cindex updating sieve script
4489 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4490 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4491 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4496 @node Summary Buffer
4497 @chapter Summary Buffer
4498 @cindex summary buffer
4500 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4501 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4503 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4504 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4506 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4509 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4510 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4511 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4512 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4513 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4514 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4515 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4516 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4517 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4518 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4519 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4520 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4521 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4522 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4523 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4524 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4525 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4526 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4527 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4528 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4529 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4530 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4531 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4532 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4533 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4534 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4535 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4536 or reselecting the current group.
4537 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4538 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4539 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4540 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4544 @node Summary Buffer Format
4545 @section Summary Buffer Format
4546 @cindex summary buffer format
4550 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4551 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4552 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4558 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4559 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4560 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4561 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4564 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4565 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4566 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4567 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4568 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4569 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4570 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4571 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4572 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4573 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4574 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4577 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4578 'mail-extract-address-components)
4581 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4582 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4583 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4584 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4587 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4588 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4590 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4591 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4592 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4593 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4594 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4596 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4597 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4598 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4599 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4600 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4601 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4603 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4605 The following format specification characters and extended format
4606 specification(s) are understood:
4612 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4613 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4615 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4616 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4617 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4619 Full @code{From} header.
4621 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4623 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4626 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4627 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4628 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4629 may be more thorough.
4631 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4634 Number of lines in the article.
4636 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4637 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4639 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4640 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4642 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4644 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4645 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4658 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4659 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4660 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4661 line-drawing glyphs.
4663 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4664 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4665 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4666 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4668 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4669 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4670 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4671 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4673 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4674 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4675 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4676 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4678 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4679 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4680 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4682 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4683 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4684 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4686 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4687 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4688 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4690 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4691 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4692 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4697 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4698 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4700 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4701 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4703 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4704 for adopted articles.
4706 One space for each thread level.
4708 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4710 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4713 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4714 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4715 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4718 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4720 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4721 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4722 default level. If the difference between
4723 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4724 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4732 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4734 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4740 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4741 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4743 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4744 article has any children.
4750 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4751 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4753 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4754 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4755 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4756 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4757 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4758 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4761 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4762 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4763 There can only be one such area.
4765 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4766 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4767 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4768 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4769 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4770 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4772 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4773 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4775 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4778 @node To From Newsgroups
4779 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4783 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4784 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4785 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4786 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4787 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4791 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4792 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4793 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4797 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4798 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4801 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4802 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4805 @findex gnus-extra-header
4806 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4807 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4808 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4811 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4815 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4816 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4817 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4818 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4819 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4820 headers are used instead.
4822 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
4823 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
4824 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
4825 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
4826 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
4827 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
4831 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4832 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4833 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4834 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4835 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4836 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4839 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4840 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4841 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4842 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4844 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4848 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4850 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4851 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4852 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4853 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4857 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4860 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4861 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4864 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4865 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4866 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4872 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4873 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4876 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4877 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4879 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4880 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4881 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4882 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4884 Here are the elements you can play with:
4890 Unprefixed group name.
4892 Current article number.
4894 Current article score.
4898 Number of unread articles in this group.
4900 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4903 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4904 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4905 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4906 and no unselected ones.
4908 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4909 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4911 Subject of the current article.
4913 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4915 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4917 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4919 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4921 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4923 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4927 @node Summary Highlighting
4928 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4932 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4933 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4934 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4935 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4936 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4938 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4939 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4940 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4941 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4943 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4944 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4945 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4946 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4948 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4949 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4950 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4951 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4952 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4953 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4956 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4957 ((> score default) . bold))
4959 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4960 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4964 @node Summary Maneuvering
4965 @section Summary Maneuvering
4966 @cindex summary movement
4968 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4969 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4971 None of these commands select articles.
4976 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4977 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4978 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4979 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4980 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4984 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4985 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4986 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4987 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4988 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4991 @kindex G g (Summary)
4992 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4993 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4994 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4997 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4998 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4999 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5000 to the group buffer.
5002 Variables related to summary movement:
5006 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5007 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5008 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5009 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5010 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5011 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5012 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5013 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5014 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5015 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5016 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5017 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5018 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5019 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5021 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5022 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5023 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5024 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5025 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5026 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5027 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5029 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5031 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5032 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5033 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5034 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5035 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5037 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5038 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5039 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5040 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5041 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5042 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5043 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5044 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5047 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5048 the given number of lines from the top.
5053 @node Choosing Articles
5054 @section Choosing Articles
5055 @cindex selecting articles
5058 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5059 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5063 @node Choosing Commands
5064 @subsection Choosing Commands
5066 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5067 and they all select and display an article.
5069 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5070 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5074 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5075 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5076 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5077 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5079 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5080 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5081 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5086 @kindex G n (Summary)
5087 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5088 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5089 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5094 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5095 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5096 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5101 @kindex G N (Summary)
5102 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5103 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5108 @kindex G P (Summary)
5109 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5110 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5113 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5114 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5115 Go to the next article with the same subject
5116 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5119 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5120 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5121 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5122 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5126 @kindex G f (Summary)
5128 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5129 Go to the first unread article
5130 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5134 @kindex G b (Summary)
5136 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5137 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5138 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5139 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5144 @kindex G l (Summary)
5145 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5146 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5149 @kindex G o (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5152 @cindex article history
5153 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5154 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5155 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5156 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5157 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5158 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5163 @kindex G j (Summary)
5164 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5165 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5166 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5171 @node Choosing Variables
5172 @subsection Choosing Variables
5174 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5177 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5178 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5179 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5180 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5181 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5182 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5184 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5185 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5186 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5187 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5188 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5191 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5192 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5193 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5194 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5195 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5196 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5197 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5198 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5199 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5200 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5201 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5202 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5203 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5204 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5209 @node Paging the Article
5210 @section Scrolling the Article
5211 @cindex article scrolling
5216 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5218 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5219 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5220 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5222 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5223 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5224 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5225 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5226 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5227 what is considered uninteresting with
5228 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5229 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5232 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5233 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5234 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5237 @kindex RET (Summary)
5238 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5239 Scroll the current article one line forward
5240 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5243 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5244 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5245 Scroll the current article one line backward
5246 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5250 @kindex A g (Summary)
5252 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5253 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5254 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5255 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5256 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5257 the way it came from the server.
5259 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5260 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5261 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5264 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5269 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5274 @kindex A < (Summary)
5275 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5276 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5277 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5282 @kindex A > (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5284 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5288 @kindex A s (Summary)
5290 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5291 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5292 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5296 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5297 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5302 @node Reply Followup and Post
5303 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5306 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5307 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5308 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5309 * Canceling and Superseding::
5313 @node Summary Mail Commands
5314 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5316 @cindex composing mail
5318 Commands for composing a mail message:
5324 @kindex S r (Summary)
5326 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5327 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5328 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5329 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5330 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5335 @kindex S R (Summary)
5336 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5337 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5338 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5339 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5340 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5343 @kindex S w (Summary)
5344 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5345 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5346 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5347 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5348 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5349 present, that's used instead.
5352 @kindex S W (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5354 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5355 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5356 the process/prefix convention.
5359 @kindex S v (Summary)
5360 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5361 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5362 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5363 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5364 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5365 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5368 @kindex S V (Summary)
5369 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5370 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5371 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5372 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5375 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5376 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5377 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5378 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5379 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5380 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5381 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5382 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5385 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5386 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5387 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5388 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5389 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5393 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5394 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5395 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5396 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5397 Forward the current article to some other person
5398 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5399 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5400 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5401 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5402 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5403 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5404 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5405 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5406 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5412 @kindex S m (Summary)
5413 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5414 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5415 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5416 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5417 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5422 @kindex S i (Summary)
5423 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5424 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5425 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5426 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5428 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5429 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5430 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5431 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5432 for this to work though.
5435 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5436 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5437 @cindex bouncing mail
5438 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5439 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5440 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5441 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5442 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5443 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5444 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5445 very well fail, though.
5448 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5449 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5450 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5451 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5452 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5453 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5454 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5455 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5456 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5457 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5459 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5460 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5461 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5462 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5463 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5465 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5466 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5469 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5470 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5472 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5473 if it were a new message before resending.
5476 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5477 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5478 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5479 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5480 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5483 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5484 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5485 @cindex crossposting
5486 @cindex excessive crossposting
5487 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5488 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5490 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5491 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5492 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5493 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5494 command understands the process/prefix convention
5495 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5499 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5500 Manual}, for more information.
5503 @node Summary Post Commands
5504 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5506 @cindex composing news
5508 Commands for posting a news article:
5514 @kindex S p (Summary)
5515 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5516 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5517 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5518 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5519 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5524 @kindex S f (Summary)
5525 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5526 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5527 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5531 @kindex S F (Summary)
5533 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5534 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5535 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5536 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5537 process/prefix convention.
5540 @kindex S n (Summary)
5541 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5542 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5543 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5546 @kindex S N (Summary)
5547 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5548 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5549 message through mail and include the original message
5550 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5551 the process/prefix convention.
5554 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5555 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5556 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5557 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5558 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5559 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5560 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5561 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5562 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5563 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5564 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5565 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5566 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5569 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5570 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5572 @cindex making digests
5573 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5574 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5575 process/prefix convention.
5578 @kindex S u (Summary)
5579 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5580 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5581 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5582 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5585 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5586 Manual}, for more information.
5589 @node Summary Message Commands
5590 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5594 @kindex S y (Summary)
5595 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5596 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5597 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5598 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5599 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5604 @node Canceling and Superseding
5605 @subsection Canceling Articles
5606 @cindex canceling articles
5607 @cindex superseding articles
5609 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5610 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5612 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5614 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5616 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5617 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5618 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5619 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5620 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5621 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5623 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5624 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5627 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5628 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5629 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5631 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5632 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5633 message, Message Manual}).
5635 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5636 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5637 your original article.
5639 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5641 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5642 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5643 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5646 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5647 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5648 have posted almost the same article twice.
5650 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5651 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5652 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5653 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5654 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5655 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5656 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5657 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5658 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5659 canceled/superseded.
5661 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5663 @node Delayed Articles
5664 @section Delayed Articles
5665 @cindex delayed sending
5666 @cindex send delayed
5668 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5669 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5670 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5671 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5674 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5677 @findex gnus-delay-article
5678 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5679 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5680 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5681 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5685 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5686 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5687 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5688 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5691 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5692 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5693 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5696 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5697 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5698 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5699 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5700 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5701 that means a time tomorrow.
5704 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5705 couple of variables:
5708 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5709 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5710 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5711 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5713 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5714 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5715 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5716 formats described above.
5718 @item gnus-delay-group
5719 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5720 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5721 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5722 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5724 @item gnus-delay-header
5725 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5726 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5727 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5728 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5731 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5732 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5733 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5734 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5735 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5737 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5738 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5739 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5740 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5741 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5742 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5743 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5746 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5747 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5748 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5749 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5750 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5751 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5752 argument is ignored.
5754 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5755 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5756 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5760 @node Marking Articles
5761 @section Marking Articles
5762 @cindex article marking
5763 @cindex article ticking
5766 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5768 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5769 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5770 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5772 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5775 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5779 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5780 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5781 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5782 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5783 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5784 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5788 @node Unread Articles
5789 @subsection Unread Articles
5791 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5796 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5797 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5799 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5800 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5801 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5802 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5803 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5804 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5805 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5808 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5809 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5811 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5812 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5813 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5814 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5818 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5819 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5821 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5826 @subsection Read Articles
5827 @cindex expirable mark
5829 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5834 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5835 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5836 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5839 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5840 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5843 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5844 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5845 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5848 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5849 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5852 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5853 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5856 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5857 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5860 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5861 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5864 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5865 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5868 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5869 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5872 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5873 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5877 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5878 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5879 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5883 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5884 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5886 One more special mark, though:
5890 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5891 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5893 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5894 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5895 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5896 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5902 @subsection Other Marks
5903 @cindex process mark
5906 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5912 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5913 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5914 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5915 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5916 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5919 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5920 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5921 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5922 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5925 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5926 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5927 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5930 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5931 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5932 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5935 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5936 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5937 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5938 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5941 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5942 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5943 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5944 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5945 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5946 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5949 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5950 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5951 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5952 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5955 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5956 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
5957 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5958 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5959 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5963 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5964 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
5965 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5966 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5967 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5968 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5971 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5972 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
5973 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5974 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5975 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5976 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5980 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5981 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5982 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5983 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5984 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5987 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5988 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5989 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5990 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5991 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5992 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5996 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5997 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5998 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6000 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6001 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6002 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6006 @subsection Setting Marks
6007 @cindex setting marks
6009 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6014 @kindex M c (Summary)
6015 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6016 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6017 @cindex mark as unread
6018 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6019 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6025 @kindex M t (Summary)
6026 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6027 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6028 @xref{Article Caching}.
6033 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6034 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6035 Mark the current article as dormant
6036 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6040 @kindex M d (Summary)
6042 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6043 Mark the current article as read
6044 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6048 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6049 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6050 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6055 @kindex M k (Summary)
6056 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6057 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6058 and then select the next unread article
6059 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6063 @kindex M K (Summary)
6064 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6065 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6066 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6067 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6070 @kindex M C (Summary)
6071 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6072 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6073 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6076 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6077 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6078 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6079 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6082 @kindex M H (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6084 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6085 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6088 @kindex M h (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6090 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6091 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6094 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6095 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6096 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6097 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6100 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6101 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6102 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6103 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6107 @kindex M e (Summary)
6109 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6110 Mark the current article as expirable
6111 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6114 @kindex M b (Summary)
6115 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6116 Set a bookmark in the current article
6117 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6120 @kindex M B (Summary)
6121 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6122 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6123 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6126 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6127 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6128 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6129 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6132 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6133 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6134 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6135 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6138 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6139 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6140 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6141 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6142 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6145 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6146 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6147 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6148 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6149 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6150 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6151 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6152 The default is @code{t}.
6155 @node Generic Marking Commands
6156 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6158 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6159 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6160 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6161 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6162 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6165 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6166 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6169 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6170 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6171 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6172 to list in this manual.
6174 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6175 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6176 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6177 article, you could say something like:
6181 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6182 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6183 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6191 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6192 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6196 @node Setting Process Marks
6197 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6198 @cindex setting process marks
6200 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6201 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6202 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6203 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6204 commands into the cache. For more information,
6205 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6212 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6213 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6214 Mark the current article with the process mark
6215 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6216 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6220 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6221 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6222 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6223 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6226 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6227 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6228 Remove the process mark from all articles
6229 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6232 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6233 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6234 Invert the list of process marked articles
6235 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6238 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6239 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6240 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6241 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6244 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6246 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6247 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6250 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6251 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6252 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6255 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6256 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6257 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6260 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6261 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6262 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6263 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6266 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6267 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6268 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6269 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6272 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6273 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6274 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6275 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6278 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6279 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6280 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6283 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6284 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6285 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6286 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6289 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6291 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6294 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6295 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6296 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6297 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6300 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6301 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6302 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6303 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6306 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6307 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6308 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6309 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6312 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6314 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6315 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6319 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6320 set process marks based on article body contents.
6327 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6328 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6329 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6332 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6333 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6334 additional articles.
6340 @kindex / / (Summary)
6341 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6342 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6343 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6347 @kindex / a (Summary)
6348 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6349 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6350 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6354 @kindex / R (Summary)
6355 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6356 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6357 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6361 @kindex / x (Summary)
6362 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6363 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6364 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6365 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6370 @kindex / u (Summary)
6372 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6373 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6374 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6375 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6376 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6379 @kindex / m (Summary)
6380 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6381 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6382 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6385 @kindex / t (Summary)
6386 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6387 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6388 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6389 articles younger than that number of days.
6392 @kindex / n (Summary)
6393 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6394 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6395 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6396 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6399 @kindex / w (Summary)
6400 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6401 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6402 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6406 @kindex / . (Summary)
6407 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6408 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6409 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6412 @kindex / v (Summary)
6413 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6414 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6415 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6418 @kindex / p (Summary)
6419 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6420 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6421 group parameter predicate
6422 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6423 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6426 @kindex / r (Summary)
6427 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6428 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6429 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6434 @kindex M S (Summary)
6435 @kindex / E (Summary)
6436 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6437 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6438 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6441 @kindex / D (Summary)
6442 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6443 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6444 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6447 @kindex / * (Summary)
6448 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6449 Include all cached articles in the limit
6450 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6453 @kindex / d (Summary)
6454 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6455 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6456 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6459 @kindex / M (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6461 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6464 @kindex / T (Summary)
6465 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6466 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6469 @kindex / c (Summary)
6470 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6471 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6472 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6475 @kindex / C (Summary)
6476 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6477 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6478 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6479 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6482 @kindex / N (Summary)
6483 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6484 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6485 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6488 @kindex / o (Summary)
6489 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6490 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6491 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6499 @cindex article threading
6501 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6502 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6503 hierarchical fashion.
6505 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6506 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6507 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6508 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6509 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6510 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6511 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6513 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6517 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6520 A tree-like article structure.
6523 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6526 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6527 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6528 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6529 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6530 called loose threads.
6532 @item thread gathering
6533 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6535 @item sparse threads
6536 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6537 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6543 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6544 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6548 @node Customizing Threading
6549 @subsection Customizing Threading
6550 @cindex customizing threading
6553 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6554 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6555 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6556 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6561 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6564 @cindex loose threads
6567 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6568 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6569 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6570 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6571 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6572 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6574 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6575 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6576 There are four possible values:
6580 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6581 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6582 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6583 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6584 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6589 @cindex adopting articles
6594 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6595 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6596 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6597 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6600 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6601 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6602 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6603 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6604 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6605 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6606 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6607 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6608 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6609 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6612 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6613 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6614 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6618 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6619 display them after one another.
6622 Don't gather loose threads.
6625 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6626 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6627 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6628 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6629 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6630 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6631 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6632 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6633 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6634 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6635 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6637 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6638 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6639 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6642 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6643 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6644 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6645 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6646 simplification is used.
6648 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6649 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6650 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6651 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6653 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6655 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6661 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6662 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6663 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6664 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6669 (mapconcat 'identity
6670 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6672 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6675 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6678 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6679 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6680 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6681 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6682 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6683 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6685 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6688 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6689 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6690 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6692 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6693 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6696 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6697 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6698 Remove excessive whitespace.
6700 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6701 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6702 Remove all whitespace.
6705 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6708 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6709 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6710 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6711 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6712 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6713 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6714 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6715 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6717 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6718 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6719 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6720 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6721 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6722 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6723 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6724 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6725 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6729 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6730 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6731 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6732 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6734 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6735 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6736 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6739 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6743 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6744 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6750 @node Filling In Threads
6751 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6754 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6755 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6756 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6757 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6758 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6759 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6760 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6761 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6762 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6763 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6764 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6765 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
6768 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6769 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6770 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6772 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6773 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6774 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6777 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6778 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6779 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6780 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6781 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6782 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6783 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6784 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6785 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6786 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6787 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6788 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6789 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6790 @code{nil} by default.
6792 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6793 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6794 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6795 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6796 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6797 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6798 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6800 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6801 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6802 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6807 @node More Threading
6808 @subsubsection More Threading
6811 @item gnus-show-threads
6812 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6813 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6814 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6815 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6816 slower and more awkward.
6818 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6819 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6820 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6823 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6824 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6825 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6830 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6831 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6832 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6835 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6836 unread, but you get my drift.)
6839 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6840 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6841 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6842 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6843 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6844 threads are expunged.
6846 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6847 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6848 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6851 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6852 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6853 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6854 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6855 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6856 result in a new thread.
6858 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6859 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6860 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6863 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6864 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6865 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6866 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6867 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6868 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6869 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6870 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6871 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6872 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6873 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6878 @node Low-Level Threading
6879 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6883 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6884 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6885 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6887 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6888 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6889 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6890 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6891 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6892 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6893 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6894 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6895 meaningful. Here's one example:
6898 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6900 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6901 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6903 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6905 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6912 @node Thread Commands
6913 @subsection Thread Commands
6914 @cindex thread commands
6920 @kindex T k (Summary)
6921 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6922 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6923 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6924 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6925 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6930 @kindex T l (Summary)
6931 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6932 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6933 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6934 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6937 @kindex T i (Summary)
6938 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6939 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6940 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6943 @kindex T # (Summary)
6944 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6945 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6946 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6949 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6950 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6951 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6952 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6955 @kindex T T (Summary)
6956 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6957 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6960 @kindex T s (Summary)
6961 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6962 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6963 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6966 @kindex T h (Summary)
6967 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6968 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6971 @kindex T S (Summary)
6972 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6973 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6976 @kindex T H (Summary)
6977 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6978 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6981 @kindex T t (Summary)
6982 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6983 Re-thread the current article's thread
6984 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6985 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6988 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6989 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6990 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6991 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6995 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6996 understand the numeric prefix.
7001 @kindex T n (Summary)
7003 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7005 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7006 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7007 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7010 @kindex T p (Summary)
7012 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7014 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7015 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7016 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7019 @kindex T d (Summary)
7020 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7021 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7024 @kindex T u (Summary)
7025 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7026 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7029 @kindex T o (Summary)
7030 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7031 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7034 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7035 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7036 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7037 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7038 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7039 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7040 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7041 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7042 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7043 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7044 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7045 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7049 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7050 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7052 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7053 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7054 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
7055 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7056 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7057 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7058 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7059 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7060 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7061 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7062 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7063 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7064 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7065 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7066 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7067 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7069 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7070 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7071 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7072 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7073 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
7074 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7075 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7076 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7077 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7078 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7080 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7081 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7082 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7084 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7085 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7086 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7087 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7088 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7089 ascending article order.
7091 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7092 by number, you could do something like:
7095 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7096 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7097 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7098 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7101 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7102 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7103 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7104 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7105 which the articles arrived.
7107 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7111 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7112 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7113 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7116 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7117 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7118 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7119 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7122 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7123 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7124 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7125 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7126 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7127 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7128 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7129 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7130 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7131 variable. It is very similar to the
7132 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7133 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7134 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7135 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7136 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7137 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7138 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7140 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7144 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7145 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7146 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7149 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7150 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7153 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7154 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7155 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7156 @cindex article pre-fetch
7159 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7160 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7161 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7162 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7163 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7165 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7166 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7168 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7169 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7170 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7171 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7172 connection is blocked.
7174 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7175 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7176 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7177 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7179 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7180 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7181 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7182 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7185 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7188 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7189 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7190 happen automatically.
7192 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7193 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7194 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7195 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7196 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7197 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7198 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7200 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7201 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7202 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7203 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7204 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7205 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7206 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7207 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7208 article data structure as the only parameter.
7210 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7211 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7214 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7215 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7216 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7217 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7220 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7223 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7224 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7225 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7227 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7228 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7229 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7230 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7234 Remove articles when they are read.
7237 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7240 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7242 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7243 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7244 @c from the next group.
7247 @node Article Caching
7248 @section Article Caching
7249 @cindex article caching
7252 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7253 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7254 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7255 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7256 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7258 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7260 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7261 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7262 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7263 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7264 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7265 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7266 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7267 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7269 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7270 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7271 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7272 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7273 as dormant, and don't worry.
7275 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7277 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7278 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7279 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7280 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7281 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7282 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7283 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7284 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7285 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7286 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7288 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7289 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7290 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7291 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7292 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7293 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7294 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7295 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7296 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7297 not then be downloaded by this command.
7299 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7300 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7301 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7302 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7303 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7304 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7306 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7307 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7308 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7309 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7310 variables, the group is not cached.
7312 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7313 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7314 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7315 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7316 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7317 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7318 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7319 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7320 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7323 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7324 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7325 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7326 where, isn't that cool?
7328 @node Persistent Articles
7329 @section Persistent Articles
7330 @cindex persistent articles
7332 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7333 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7334 useful in my opinion.
7336 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7337 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7338 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7339 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7340 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7341 the expiry going on at the news server.
7343 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7344 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7345 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7351 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7352 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7355 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7356 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7357 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7358 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7362 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7364 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7365 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7366 interested in persistent articles:
7369 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7373 @node Article Backlog
7374 @section Article Backlog
7376 @cindex article backlog
7378 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7379 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7380 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7381 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7382 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7383 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7384 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7385 increase memory usage some.
7387 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7388 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7389 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7390 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7391 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7392 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7393 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7395 The default value is 20.
7398 @node Saving Articles
7399 @section Saving Articles
7400 @cindex saving articles
7402 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7403 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7404 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7405 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7406 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7408 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7409 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7410 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7412 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7413 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7414 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7416 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7417 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7418 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7419 deleted before saving.
7425 @kindex O o (Summary)
7427 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7428 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7429 Save the current article using the default article saver
7430 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7433 @kindex O m (Summary)
7434 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7435 Save the current article in mail format
7436 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7439 @kindex O r (Summary)
7440 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7441 Save the current article in Rmail format
7442 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7445 @kindex O f (Summary)
7446 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7447 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7448 Save the current article in plain file format
7449 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7452 @kindex O F (Summary)
7453 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7454 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7455 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7458 @kindex O b (Summary)
7459 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7460 Save the current article body in plain file format
7461 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7464 @kindex O h (Summary)
7465 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7466 Save the current article in mh folder format
7467 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7470 @kindex O v (Summary)
7471 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7472 Save the current article in a VM folder
7473 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7477 @kindex O p (Summary)
7479 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7480 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7481 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7482 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7483 complete headers in the piped output.
7486 @kindex O P (Summary)
7487 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7488 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7489 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7490 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7491 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7492 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7493 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7497 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7498 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7499 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7500 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7501 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7502 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7503 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7504 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7505 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7506 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7507 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7508 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7512 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7513 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7514 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7515 functions below, or you can create your own.
7519 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7520 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7521 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7522 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7523 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7524 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7525 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7527 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7528 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7529 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7530 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7531 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7532 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7534 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7535 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7536 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7537 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7538 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7539 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7540 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7542 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7543 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7544 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7545 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7546 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7547 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7549 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7550 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7551 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7552 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7553 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7555 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7556 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7557 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7558 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7559 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7562 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7563 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7564 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7565 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7566 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7568 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7569 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7570 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7571 reader to use this setting.
7574 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7575 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7576 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7577 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7580 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7581 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7582 available functions that generate names:
7586 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7587 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7588 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7590 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7591 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7592 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7594 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7595 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7596 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7598 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7599 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7600 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7602 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7603 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7604 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7607 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7608 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7609 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7610 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7611 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7615 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7616 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7617 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7618 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7621 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7622 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7623 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7624 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7625 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7626 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7627 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7628 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7629 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7631 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7632 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7633 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7634 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7636 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7637 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7638 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7641 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7642 lots of mail groups called things like
7643 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7644 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7645 following will do just that:
7648 (defun my-save-name (group)
7649 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7650 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7652 (setq gnus-split-methods
7653 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7658 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7659 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7660 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7661 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7662 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7663 all the files in the top level directory
7664 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7665 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7666 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7667 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7669 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7670 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7671 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7672 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7673 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7676 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7680 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7681 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7682 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7685 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7686 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7687 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7688 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7691 @node Decoding Articles
7692 @section Decoding Articles
7693 @cindex decoding articles
7695 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7696 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7699 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7700 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7701 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7702 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7703 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7704 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7708 @cindex article series
7709 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7710 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7711 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7712 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7713 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7715 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7716 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7717 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7719 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7720 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7721 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7723 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7724 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7725 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7728 @node Uuencoded Articles
7729 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7731 @cindex uuencoded articles
7736 @kindex X u (Summary)
7737 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7738 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7739 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7742 @kindex X U (Summary)
7743 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7744 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7745 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7748 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7749 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7750 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7753 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7754 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7755 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7756 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7760 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7761 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7762 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7763 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7764 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7766 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7767 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7768 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7769 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7772 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7773 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7774 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7775 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7776 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7777 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7781 @node Shell Archives
7782 @subsection Shell Archives
7784 @cindex shell archives
7785 @cindex shared articles
7787 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7788 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7789 some commands to deal with these:
7794 @kindex X s (Summary)
7795 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7796 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7799 @kindex X S (Summary)
7800 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7801 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7804 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7805 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7806 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7809 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7810 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7811 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7812 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7816 @node PostScript Files
7817 @subsection PostScript Files
7823 @kindex X p (Summary)
7824 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7825 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7828 @kindex X P (Summary)
7829 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7830 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7831 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7834 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7835 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7836 View the current PostScript series
7837 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7840 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7841 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7842 View and save the current PostScript series
7843 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7848 @subsection Other Files
7852 @kindex X o (Summary)
7853 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7854 Save the current series
7855 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7858 @kindex X b (Summary)
7859 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7860 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7861 doesn't really work yet.
7865 @node Decoding Variables
7866 @subsection Decoding Variables
7868 Adjective, not verb.
7871 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7872 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7873 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7877 @node Rule Variables
7878 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7879 @cindex rule variables
7881 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7882 variables are of the form
7885 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7892 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7893 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7895 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7896 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7899 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7900 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7903 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7904 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7905 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7906 user and default view rules.
7908 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7909 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7910 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7915 @node Other Decode Variables
7916 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7919 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7921 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7922 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7923 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7924 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7925 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7929 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7930 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7933 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7934 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7935 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7938 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7939 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7940 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7941 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7942 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7945 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7946 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7947 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7949 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7950 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7951 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7952 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7953 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7956 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7957 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7958 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7960 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7961 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7962 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7963 looking for files to display.
7965 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7966 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7967 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7970 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7971 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7972 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7975 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7976 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7977 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7980 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7981 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7982 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7985 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7986 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7987 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7988 decoded articles as unread.
7990 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7991 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7992 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7993 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7995 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7996 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7997 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7999 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8000 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8002 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8003 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8004 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8005 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8007 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8008 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8009 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8010 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8011 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8012 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8013 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8014 simply dropped them.
8019 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8020 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8024 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8025 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8026 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8027 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8028 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8029 for you when you post the article.
8031 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8032 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8033 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8034 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8036 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8037 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8038 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8039 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8040 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8041 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8042 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8044 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8045 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8046 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8047 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8048 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8049 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8050 Default is @code{t}.
8056 @subsection Viewing Files
8057 @cindex viewing files
8058 @cindex pseudo-articles
8060 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8061 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8062 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8063 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8064 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8065 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8066 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8068 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8069 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8070 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8071 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8073 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8074 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8075 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8077 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8078 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8079 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8080 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8081 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8083 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8084 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8085 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8086 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8087 a list of parameters to that command.
8089 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8090 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8091 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8093 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8094 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8095 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8098 @node Article Treatment
8099 @section Article Treatment
8101 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8102 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8103 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8104 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8105 these articles easier.
8108 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8109 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8110 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8111 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8112 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8113 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8114 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8115 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8116 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8117 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8118 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8122 @node Article Highlighting
8123 @subsection Article Highlighting
8124 @cindex highlighting
8126 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8127 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8132 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8133 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8134 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8135 Do much highlighting of the current article
8136 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8137 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8140 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8141 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8142 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8143 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8144 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8145 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8146 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8147 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8148 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8149 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8150 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8151 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8154 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8155 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8156 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8158 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8161 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8163 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8164 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8165 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8167 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8168 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8169 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8171 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8172 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8173 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8174 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8175 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8176 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8178 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8179 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8180 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8182 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8183 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8184 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8186 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8187 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8188 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8189 that it's a citation.
8191 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8192 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8193 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8195 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8196 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8197 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8199 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8200 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8201 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8202 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8204 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8205 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8206 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8207 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8208 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8215 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8216 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8217 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8218 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8219 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8220 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8221 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8222 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8227 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8230 @node Article Fontisizing
8231 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8233 @cindex article emphasis
8235 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8236 @kindex W e (Summary)
8237 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8238 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8239 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8240 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8242 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8243 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8244 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8245 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8246 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8247 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8248 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8249 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8253 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8254 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8255 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8264 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8265 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8266 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8267 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8268 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8269 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8270 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8271 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8272 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8273 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8274 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8275 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8276 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8278 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8279 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8280 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8284 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8287 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8289 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8290 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8291 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8292 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8294 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8297 @node Article Hiding
8298 @subsection Article Hiding
8299 @cindex article hiding
8301 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8302 too much cruft in most articles.
8307 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8308 @findex gnus-article-hide
8309 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8310 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8311 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8314 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8315 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8316 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8320 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8321 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8322 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8323 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8326 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8327 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8328 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8332 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8333 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8334 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8335 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8336 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8337 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8338 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8339 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8343 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8344 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8345 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8346 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8351 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8352 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8353 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8354 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8357 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8358 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8359 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8360 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8363 @cindex stripping advertisements
8364 @cindex advertisements
8365 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8366 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8367 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8368 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8369 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8370 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8371 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8372 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8373 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8374 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8377 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8378 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8379 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8383 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8384 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8385 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8386 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8387 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8388 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8389 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8390 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8391 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8392 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8393 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8396 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8397 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8403 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8404 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8405 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8406 customizing the hiding:
8410 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8411 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8412 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8413 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8414 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8415 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8416 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8421 Starting point of the hidden text.
8423 Ending point of the hidden text.
8425 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8427 Number of lines of hidden text.
8430 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8431 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8432 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8433 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8434 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8439 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8440 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8442 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8443 following two variables:
8446 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8447 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8448 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8449 50), hide the cited text.
8451 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8452 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8453 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8458 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8459 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8460 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8461 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8462 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8463 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8467 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8468 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8469 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8471 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8472 citation customization.
8474 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8478 @node Article Washing
8479 @subsection Article Washing
8481 @cindex article washing
8483 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8484 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8486 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8487 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8490 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8491 articles by default.
8496 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8497 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8501 Force redisplaying of the current article
8502 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8503 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8504 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8505 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8508 @kindex W l (Summary)
8509 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8510 Remove page breaks from the current article
8511 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8515 @kindex W r (Summary)
8516 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8517 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8518 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8519 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8520 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8521 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8523 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8524 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8525 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8526 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8529 @kindex W m (Summary)
8530 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8531 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8534 @kindex W i (Summary)
8535 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8536 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8537 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8538 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8539 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8540 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8545 @kindex W t (Summary)
8547 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8548 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8549 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8552 @kindex W v (Summary)
8553 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8554 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8555 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8558 @kindex W o (Summary)
8559 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8560 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8563 @kindex W d (Summary)
8564 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8565 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8567 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8569 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8570 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8571 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8572 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8575 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8576 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8577 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8578 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8581 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8582 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8583 @cindex Outlook Express
8584 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8585 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8586 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8589 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8590 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8591 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8592 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8593 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8594 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8595 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8596 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8597 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8598 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8601 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8602 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8603 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8604 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8607 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8608 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8609 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8610 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8613 @kindex W w (Summary)
8614 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8615 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8617 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8621 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8622 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8623 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8626 @kindex W C (Summary)
8627 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8628 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8629 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8632 @kindex W c (Summary)
8633 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8634 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8635 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8636 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8637 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8640 @kindex W q (Summary)
8641 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8642 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8643 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8644 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8645 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8646 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8647 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8648 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8649 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8652 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8653 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8654 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8655 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8656 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8657 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8658 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8659 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8662 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8663 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8664 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8665 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8666 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8669 @kindex W A (Summary)
8670 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8671 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8672 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8673 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8674 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8677 @kindex W u (Summary)
8678 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8679 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8680 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8681 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8682 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8685 @kindex W h (Summary)
8686 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8687 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8688 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8689 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8691 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
8692 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
8693 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
8695 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8696 The default is to use the function specified by
8697 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8698 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8699 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8700 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8708 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8710 @item w3m-standalone
8711 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
8714 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8717 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8720 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8725 @kindex W b (Summary)
8726 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8727 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8728 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8731 @kindex W B (Summary)
8732 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8733 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8734 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8737 @kindex W p (Summary)
8738 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8739 Verify a signed control message
8740 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8741 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8742 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8743 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8744 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8745 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8748 @kindex W s (Summary)
8749 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8750 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8751 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8752 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8755 @kindex W a (Summary)
8756 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8757 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8758 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8761 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8762 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8763 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8764 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8767 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8768 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8769 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8770 lines with a single empty line.
8771 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8774 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8775 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8776 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8777 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8780 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8781 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8782 Do all the three commands above
8783 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8786 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8787 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8788 Remove all blank lines
8789 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8792 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8793 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8794 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8795 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8798 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8799 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8800 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8801 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8805 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8808 @node Article Header
8809 @subsection Article Header
8811 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8816 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8817 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8818 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8821 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8822 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8823 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8824 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8827 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8828 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8829 Fold all the message headers
8830 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8833 @kindex W E w (Summary)
8834 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8835 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8836 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8841 @node Article Buttons
8842 @subsection Article Buttons
8845 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8846 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8847 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8848 button on these references.
8850 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8851 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8852 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8853 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8854 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8858 @item gnus-button-alist
8859 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8860 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8863 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8869 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8870 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8871 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8872 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8873 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8876 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8877 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8878 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8881 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8882 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8883 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8884 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8885 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8887 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8890 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8893 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8894 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8898 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8901 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8904 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8905 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8906 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8907 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8908 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8911 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8914 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8917 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8920 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8921 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8923 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8925 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8926 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8927 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8928 default values of the variables above.
8930 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8932 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8933 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8934 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8935 argument with a string naming the man page.
8937 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8939 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8940 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8941 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8943 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8944 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8945 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8946 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8947 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8948 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8949 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8950 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8951 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
8952 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8953 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8954 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8956 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8957 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8958 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
8959 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
8960 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
8963 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8964 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8965 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8966 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8968 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8970 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8971 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8972 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8973 argument, the string naming the URL.
8976 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8977 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8978 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8982 @item gnus-article-button-face
8983 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8984 Face used on buttons.
8986 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8987 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8988 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8992 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8995 @node Article Button Levels
8996 @subsection Article button levels
8997 @cindex button levels
8998 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8999 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9000 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9001 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9002 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9003 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9004 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9005 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9008 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9009 (setq gnus-parameters
9010 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9011 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9012 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9017 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9018 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9019 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9020 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9021 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9022 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9024 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9025 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9026 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9027 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9028 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9029 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9030 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9031 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9032 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9033 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9034 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9035 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9036 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9038 @item gnus-button-man-level
9039 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9040 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9041 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9043 @item gnus-button-message-level
9044 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9045 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9046 Related variables and functions include
9047 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9048 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9049 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9050 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9052 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9053 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9054 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9055 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9056 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9057 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9058 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9064 @subsection Article Date
9066 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9067 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9068 when the article was sent.
9073 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9074 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9075 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9076 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9079 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9080 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9082 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9083 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9086 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9087 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9088 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9091 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9092 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9093 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9094 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9097 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9098 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9099 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9100 @findex format-time-string
9101 Display the date using a user-defined format
9102 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9103 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9104 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9105 for a list of possible format specs.
9108 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9109 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9110 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9111 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9112 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9113 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9116 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9119 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9120 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9121 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9124 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9125 into wonderful absurdities.
9127 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9130 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9133 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9134 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9138 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9139 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9140 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9141 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9142 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9143 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9144 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9148 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9149 preferred format automatically.
9152 @node Article Display
9153 @subsection Article Display
9158 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9159 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9161 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9162 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9164 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9165 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9167 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9168 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9170 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9171 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9173 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9178 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9179 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9180 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9181 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9184 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9185 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9186 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9187 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9190 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9191 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9192 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9195 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9196 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9197 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9200 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9201 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9202 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9203 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9206 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9207 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9208 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9209 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9212 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9213 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9214 Remove all images from the article buffer
9215 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9221 @node Article Signature
9222 @subsection Article Signature
9224 @cindex article signature
9226 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9227 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9228 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9229 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9230 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9231 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9232 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9233 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9234 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9237 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9238 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9239 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9240 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9241 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9242 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9243 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9244 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9247 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9250 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9251 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9252 signature when displaying articles.
9256 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9259 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9262 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9263 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9265 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9266 in question is not a signature.
9269 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9270 listed above. Here's an example:
9273 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9274 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9277 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9278 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9279 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9280 signature after all.
9283 @node Article Miscellanea
9284 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9288 @kindex A t (Summary)
9289 @findex gnus-article-babel
9290 Translate the article from one language to another
9291 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9297 @section MIME Commands
9298 @cindex MIME decoding
9300 @cindex viewing attachments
9302 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9303 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9309 @kindex K v (Summary)
9310 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9313 @kindex K o (Summary)
9314 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9317 @kindex K O (Summary)
9318 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9319 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9320 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9323 @kindex K r (Summary)
9324 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9327 @kindex K d (Summary)
9328 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9332 @kindex K c (Summary)
9333 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9336 @kindex K e (Summary)
9337 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9340 @kindex K i (Summary)
9341 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9344 @kindex K | (Summary)
9345 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9348 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9353 @kindex K b (Summary)
9354 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9355 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9359 @kindex K m (Summary)
9360 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9361 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9362 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9363 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9364 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9367 @kindex X m (Summary)
9368 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9369 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9370 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9371 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9374 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9375 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9376 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9377 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9380 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9381 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9382 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9383 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9386 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9387 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9388 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9389 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9391 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9392 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9393 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9394 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9395 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9396 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9399 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9400 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9401 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9402 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9409 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9410 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9411 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9412 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9415 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9418 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9422 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9423 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9424 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9425 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9426 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9427 default is @code{nil}.
9429 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9430 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9431 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9432 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9433 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9434 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9435 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9437 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9438 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9439 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9440 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9441 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9442 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9443 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9444 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9446 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9447 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9448 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9449 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9450 displayed. This variable overrides
9451 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9452 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9455 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9456 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9457 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9459 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9460 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9461 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9462 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9463 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9465 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9466 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9467 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9468 default value is @code{nil}.
9470 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9471 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9472 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9473 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9474 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9475 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9476 save all jpegs into some directory).
9478 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9481 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9482 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9484 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9485 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9486 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9487 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9488 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9491 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9492 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9493 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9495 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9496 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9497 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9499 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9500 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9501 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9503 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9504 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9505 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9506 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9507 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9509 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9510 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9511 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9512 overrides @code{nil} values of
9513 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9514 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9516 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9517 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9518 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9519 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9521 Ready-made functions include@*
9522 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9523 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9524 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9525 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9526 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9527 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9528 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9529 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9530 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9531 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9532 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9533 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9535 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9536 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9538 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9539 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9540 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9543 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9544 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9545 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9546 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9550 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9559 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9560 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9561 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9562 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9563 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9564 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9565 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9567 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9568 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9569 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9570 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9572 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9573 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9574 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9575 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9576 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9577 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9578 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9579 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9580 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9582 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9583 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9584 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9585 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9586 quoted-printable header encoding.
9588 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9589 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9590 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9594 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9597 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9598 means encode all charsets),
9600 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9601 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9602 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9609 @cindex coding system aliases
9610 @cindex preferred charset
9612 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9613 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9614 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9616 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9618 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9619 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9622 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9623 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9626 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9627 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9629 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9632 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9635 This will almost do the right thing.
9637 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9641 (codepage-setup 1251)
9642 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9646 @node Article Commands
9647 @section Article Commands
9654 @kindex A P (Summary)
9655 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9656 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9657 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9658 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9659 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9660 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9665 @node Summary Sorting
9666 @section Summary Sorting
9667 @cindex summary sorting
9669 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9670 can't really see why you'd want that.
9675 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9676 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9677 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9680 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9681 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9682 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9685 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
9686 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
9687 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
9690 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9691 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9692 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9695 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9696 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9697 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9700 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9701 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9702 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9705 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9706 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9707 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9710 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9711 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9712 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9715 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9716 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9717 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9720 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9721 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9722 Sort using the default sorting method
9723 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9726 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9727 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9728 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9729 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9730 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9734 @node Finding the Parent
9735 @section Finding the Parent
9736 @cindex parent articles
9737 @cindex referring articles
9742 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9743 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9744 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9745 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9746 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9747 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9748 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9749 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9750 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9752 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9753 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9754 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9755 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9756 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9760 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9761 @kindex A R (Summary)
9762 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9763 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9766 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9767 @kindex A T (Summary)
9768 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9769 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9770 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9771 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9772 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9773 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9774 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9776 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9777 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9778 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9779 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9780 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9781 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9784 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9785 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9787 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9788 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
9789 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
9790 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
9791 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
9792 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9794 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
9795 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
9796 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
9799 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9800 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9801 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9802 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9803 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9804 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9807 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9808 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9809 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9812 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9813 then ask Google if that fails:
9816 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9818 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9821 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9822 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9823 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
9824 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9825 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
9826 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
9827 not support this at all.
9830 @node Alternative Approaches
9831 @section Alternative Approaches
9833 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9834 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9837 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9838 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9843 @subsection Pick and Read
9844 @cindex pick and read
9846 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9847 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9848 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9849 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9851 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9852 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9853 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9854 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9855 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9856 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9858 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9863 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9864 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9865 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9866 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9867 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9868 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9869 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9870 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9873 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9874 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9875 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9876 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9880 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9881 Unpick the thread or article
9882 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9883 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9884 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9885 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9886 the thread or article at that line.
9890 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9891 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9892 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9893 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9894 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9895 will still be visible when you are reading.
9899 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9900 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9901 which is mapped to the same function
9902 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9904 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9907 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9910 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9911 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9913 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9914 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9915 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9917 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9918 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9919 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9920 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9921 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9922 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9923 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9927 @subsection Binary Groups
9928 @cindex binary groups
9930 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9931 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9932 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9933 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9934 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9935 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9936 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9939 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9940 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9941 command, when you have turned on this mode
9942 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9944 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9945 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9949 @section Tree Display
9952 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9953 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9954 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9955 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9958 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9961 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9962 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9963 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9965 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9966 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9967 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9968 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9969 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9971 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9972 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9973 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9974 default is @code{modeline}.
9976 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9977 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9978 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9979 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9980 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9981 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9982 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9988 The name of the poster.
9990 The @code{From} header.
9992 The number of the article.
9994 The opening bracket.
9996 The closing bracket.
10001 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10003 Variables related to the display are:
10006 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10007 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10008 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10009 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10011 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10012 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10013 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10015 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10017 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10018 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10019 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10020 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10024 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10025 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10026 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10027 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10028 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10029 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10030 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10031 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10032 other windows displayed next to it.
10034 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10038 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10039 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10042 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10043 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10044 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10045 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10046 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10047 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10048 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10052 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10055 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10065 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10070 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10071 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10073 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10075 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10081 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10082 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10083 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10086 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10087 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10088 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10089 (gnus-add-configuration
10093 (summary 0.75 point)
10098 @xref{Window Layout}.
10101 @node Mail Group Commands
10102 @section Mail Group Commands
10103 @cindex mail group commands
10105 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10106 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10108 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10109 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10114 @kindex B e (Summary)
10115 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10116 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10117 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10118 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10119 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10122 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10123 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10124 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10125 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10126 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10127 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10130 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10131 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10132 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10133 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10134 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10135 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10138 @kindex B m (Summary)
10140 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10141 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10142 Move the article from one mail group to another
10143 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10144 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10147 @kindex B c (Summary)
10149 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10150 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10151 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10152 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10153 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10156 @kindex B B (Summary)
10157 @cindex crosspost mail
10158 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10159 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10160 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10161 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10162 be properly updated.
10165 @kindex B i (Summary)
10166 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10167 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10168 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10169 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10172 @kindex B I (Summary)
10173 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10174 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10175 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10176 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10179 @kindex B r (Summary)
10180 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10181 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10182 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10183 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10184 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10185 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10186 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10187 (which is the default).
10191 @kindex B w (Summary)
10192 @kindex e (Summary)
10193 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10194 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10195 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10196 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10197 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10198 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10199 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10202 @kindex B q (Summary)
10203 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10204 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10205 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10206 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10209 @kindex B t (Summary)
10210 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10211 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10212 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10215 @kindex B p (Summary)
10216 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10217 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10218 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10219 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10220 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10221 article from your news server (or rather, from
10222 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10223 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10224 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10225 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10226 just not have arrived yet.
10229 @kindex K E (Summary)
10230 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10231 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10232 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10233 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10234 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10238 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10239 @cindex moving articles
10240 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10241 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10242 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10243 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10244 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10245 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10246 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10249 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10250 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10251 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10252 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10256 @node Various Summary Stuff
10257 @section Various Summary Stuff
10260 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10261 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10262 * Summary Generation Commands::
10263 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10267 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10268 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10269 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10270 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10271 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10272 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10274 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10275 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10276 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10279 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10280 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10281 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10283 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10284 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10285 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10286 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10287 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10288 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10291 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10292 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10293 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10294 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10295 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10297 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10298 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10299 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10302 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10303 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10304 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10305 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10306 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10307 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10308 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10309 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10310 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10311 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10313 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10314 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10315 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10316 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10317 list of articles to be selected.
10319 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10320 the list in one particular group:
10323 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10324 (if (string= group "some.group")
10325 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10329 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10330 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10331 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10332 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10333 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10336 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10337 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10338 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10339 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10340 variable will be used instead.
10342 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10343 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10344 buffers. For example:
10347 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10348 '(message-use-followup-to
10349 (gnus-visible-headers .
10350 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10353 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10357 @node Summary Group Information
10358 @subsection Summary Group Information
10363 @kindex H f (Summary)
10364 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10365 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10366 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10367 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10368 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10369 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10370 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10371 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10372 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10375 @kindex H d (Summary)
10376 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10377 Give a brief description of the current group
10378 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10379 rereading the description from the server.
10382 @kindex H h (Summary)
10383 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10384 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10385 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10388 @kindex H i (Summary)
10389 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10390 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10394 @node Searching for Articles
10395 @subsection Searching for Articles
10400 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10401 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10402 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10403 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10406 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10407 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10408 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10409 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10412 @kindex & (Summary)
10413 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10414 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10415 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10416 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10417 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10418 search backward instead.
10420 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10421 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10424 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10425 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10426 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10427 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10430 @node Summary Generation Commands
10431 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10436 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10437 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10438 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10441 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10442 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10443 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10444 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10447 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10448 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10449 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10450 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10455 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10456 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10462 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10463 @kindex A D (Summary)
10464 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10465 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10466 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10467 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10468 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10469 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10470 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10471 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10475 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10476 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10477 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10478 several documents into one biiig group
10479 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10480 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10481 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10482 command understands the process/prefix convention
10483 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10486 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10487 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10488 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10489 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10490 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10491 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10494 @kindex = (Summary)
10495 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10496 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10497 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10500 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10501 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10502 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10503 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10506 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10507 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10508 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10509 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10514 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10515 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10516 @cindex summary exit
10517 @cindex exiting groups
10519 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10520 group and return you to the group buffer.
10527 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10528 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10529 @kindex q (Summary)
10530 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10531 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10532 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10533 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10534 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10535 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10536 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10537 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10538 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10539 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10540 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10541 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10545 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10546 @kindex Q (Summary)
10547 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10548 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10549 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10553 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10554 @kindex c (Summary)
10555 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10556 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10557 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10558 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10561 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10562 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10563 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10564 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10567 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10568 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10569 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10570 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10573 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10574 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10575 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10576 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10580 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10581 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10582 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10583 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10584 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10585 all articles, both read and unread.
10589 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10590 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10591 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10592 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10593 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10594 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10595 articles, both read and unread.
10598 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10599 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10600 Exit the group and go to the next group
10601 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10604 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10605 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10606 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10607 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10610 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10611 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10612 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10613 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10614 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10615 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10618 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10619 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10620 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10621 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10623 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10624 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10625 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10626 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10627 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10628 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10629 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10630 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10631 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10632 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10633 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10634 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10636 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10638 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10639 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10640 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10641 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10642 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10643 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10644 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10645 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10646 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10649 @node Crosspost Handling
10650 @section Crosspost Handling
10654 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10655 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10656 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10657 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10658 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10659 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10662 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10663 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10664 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10665 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10666 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10668 @cindex cross-posting
10670 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10671 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10672 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10673 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10674 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10675 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10676 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10677 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10678 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10679 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10680 the cross reference mechanism.
10682 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10683 @cindex overview.fmt
10684 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10685 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10686 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10687 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10688 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10689 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10692 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10693 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10694 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10699 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10702 @node Duplicate Suppression
10703 @section Duplicate Suppression
10705 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10706 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10707 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10708 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10713 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10714 is evil and not very common.
10717 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10718 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10721 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10722 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10725 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10728 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10729 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10731 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10732 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10733 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10734 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10735 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10736 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10737 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10740 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10741 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10742 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10743 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10744 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10745 saw the article in.
10748 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10749 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10750 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10752 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10753 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10754 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10755 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10756 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10757 session are suppressed.
10759 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10760 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10761 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10762 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10764 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10765 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10766 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10767 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10770 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10771 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10772 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10773 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10774 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10775 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10776 to you to figure out, I think.
10781 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10782 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10783 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10788 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10789 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10790 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10791 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10794 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10795 or newer is recommended.
10799 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
10803 @item mm-verify-option
10804 @vindex mm-verify-option
10805 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10806 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10807 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10809 @item mm-decrypt-option
10810 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10811 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10812 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10813 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10816 @vindex mml1991-use
10817 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10818 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10819 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10823 @vindex mml2015-use
10824 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10825 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10826 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10831 By default the buttons that display security information are not
10832 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
10833 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
10834 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
10835 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
10836 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
10837 how to customize these variables to always display security
10840 @cindex snarfing keys
10841 @cindex importing PGP keys
10842 @cindex PGP key ring import
10843 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10844 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10845 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10846 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10847 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10848 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10849 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10850 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10851 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10854 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10857 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10858 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10860 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
10861 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
10862 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10865 @section Mailing List
10866 @cindex mailing list
10869 @kindex A M (summary)
10870 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10871 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10872 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10873 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10876 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10881 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10882 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10883 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10886 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10887 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10888 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10891 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10892 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10893 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10897 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10898 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10899 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10902 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10903 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10904 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10907 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10908 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
10909 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10914 @node Article Buffer
10915 @chapter Article Buffer
10916 @cindex article buffer
10918 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10919 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10920 tell Gnus otherwise.
10923 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10924 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10925 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10926 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10927 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10931 @node Hiding Headers
10932 @section Hiding Headers
10933 @cindex hiding headers
10934 @cindex deleting headers
10936 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10937 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10939 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10940 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10941 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10942 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10943 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10944 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10945 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10946 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10947 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10949 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10953 @item gnus-visible-headers
10954 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10955 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10956 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10957 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10959 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10960 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10963 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10966 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10969 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10970 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10971 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10972 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10973 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10974 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10976 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10977 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10980 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10983 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10986 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10987 variable will have no effect.
10991 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10992 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10993 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10994 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10995 the headers are to be displayed.
10997 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10998 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11001 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11004 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11005 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11007 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11008 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11009 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11010 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11011 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11012 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11013 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11016 These conditions are:
11019 Remove all empty headers.
11021 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11022 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11024 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11025 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11028 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11031 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11032 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11034 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11035 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11037 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
11038 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11040 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11043 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
11045 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
11048 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11051 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11052 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11055 This is also the default value for this variable.
11059 @section Using MIME
11060 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11062 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11063 while people stand around yawning.
11065 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11066 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11068 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11069 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11070 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11072 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11073 @findex gnus-display-mime
11074 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11075 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11076 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11077 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11079 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11080 @acronym{MIME} button:
11083 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11084 @item RET (Article)
11085 @kindex RET (Article)
11086 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11087 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11088 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11089 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11090 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11091 object is displayed inline.
11093 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11094 @item M-RET (Article)
11095 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11097 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11098 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11100 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11102 @kindex t (Article)
11103 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11104 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11106 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11108 @kindex C (Article)
11109 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11110 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11112 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11114 @kindex o (Article)
11115 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11116 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11118 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11119 @item C-o (Article)
11120 @kindex C-o (Article)
11121 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11122 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11123 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11124 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11125 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11126 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11128 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11130 @kindex r (Article)
11131 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11132 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11133 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11135 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11137 @kindex d (Article)
11138 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11139 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11140 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11142 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11144 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11146 @kindex c (Article)
11147 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11148 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11149 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11150 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11151 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11152 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11153 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11154 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11156 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11158 @kindex p (Article)
11159 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11160 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11161 @file{.mailcap} file.
11163 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11165 @kindex i (Article)
11166 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11167 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11168 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11169 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11170 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11171 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11172 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11173 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11174 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11176 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11178 @kindex E (Article)
11179 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11180 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11181 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11183 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11185 @kindex e (Article)
11186 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11187 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11189 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11191 @kindex | (Article)
11192 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11194 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11196 @kindex . (Article)
11197 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11198 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11202 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11203 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11204 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11206 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11207 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11208 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11209 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11210 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11211 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11212 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11213 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11214 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11216 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11218 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11221 @node Customizing Articles
11222 @section Customizing Articles
11223 @cindex article customization
11225 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11226 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11227 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11228 called automatically when you select the articles.
11230 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11231 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11232 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11233 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11235 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11236 for sensible values.
11240 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11243 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11246 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11249 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11252 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11255 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11259 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11260 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11261 regexps in the list.
11264 A list where the first element is not a string:
11266 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11267 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11268 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11272 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11277 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11278 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11279 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11280 considered to contain just a single part.
11282 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11283 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11284 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11285 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11286 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11287 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11288 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11290 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11291 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11292 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11293 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11296 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11297 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11299 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11301 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11302 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11303 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11304 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11305 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11306 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11307 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11308 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11309 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11310 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11312 @xref{Article Washing}.
11314 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11315 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11316 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11317 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11318 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11319 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11320 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11322 @xref{Article Date}.
11324 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11325 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11326 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11330 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11332 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11334 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11335 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11336 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11340 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11344 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11348 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11349 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11350 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11351 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11352 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11353 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11354 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11355 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11356 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11357 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11359 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11361 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11362 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11363 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11365 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11367 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11368 @item gnus-treat-translate
11369 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11370 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11372 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11373 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11374 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11375 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11377 @xref{Article Header}.
11382 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11383 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11384 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11385 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11386 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11390 @node Article Keymap
11391 @section Article Keymap
11393 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11394 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11395 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11396 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11399 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11404 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11405 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11406 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11407 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11410 @kindex DEL (Article)
11411 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11412 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11413 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11416 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11417 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11418 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11419 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11420 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11423 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11424 @findex gnus-article-mail
11425 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11426 given a prefix, include the mail.
11429 @kindex s (Article)
11430 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11431 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11432 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11435 @kindex ? (Article)
11436 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11437 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11438 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11441 @kindex TAB (Article)
11442 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11443 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11444 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11447 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11448 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11449 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11452 @kindex R (Article)
11453 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11454 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11455 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11456 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11460 @kindex F (Article)
11461 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11462 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11463 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11464 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11472 @section Misc Article
11476 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11477 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11478 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11479 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11482 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11483 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11484 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11485 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11486 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11488 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11489 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11490 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11491 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11492 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11493 the contents of the article buffer.
11495 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11496 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11497 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11499 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11500 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11501 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11502 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11504 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11505 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11506 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11507 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11509 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11510 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11511 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11512 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11513 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11514 with two extensions:
11519 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11520 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11521 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11526 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11529 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11532 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11533 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11534 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11537 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11540 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11543 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11548 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11552 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11554 @item gnus-break-pages
11555 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11556 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11557 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11558 paging will not be done.
11560 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11561 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11562 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11566 @cindex internationalized domain names
11567 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11568 @item gnus-use-idna
11569 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11570 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11571 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
11572 for how to compose such messages. This requires
11573 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11574 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11579 @node Composing Messages
11580 @chapter Composing Messages
11581 @cindex composing messages
11584 @cindex sending mail
11589 @cindex using s/mime
11590 @cindex using smime
11592 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11593 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11594 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11595 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11596 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11597 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11600 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11601 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11602 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
11603 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11604 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11605 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11606 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11607 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11608 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11611 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11612 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11618 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11621 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11622 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11623 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11624 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11625 @code{nil} include all headers.
11627 @item gnus-add-to-list
11628 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11629 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11630 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11632 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11633 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11634 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
11635 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
11636 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
11637 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
11638 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
11639 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
11641 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11642 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
11644 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11645 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11646 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11647 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11648 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11653 @node Posting Server
11654 @section Posting Server
11656 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11657 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11659 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11661 It can be quite complicated.
11663 @vindex gnus-post-method
11664 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11665 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11666 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11667 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11668 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11669 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11670 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11671 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11672 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11675 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11678 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11679 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11680 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11681 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11683 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11684 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11686 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11687 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11690 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11691 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11693 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11694 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11695 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11696 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11697 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11698 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11699 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11700 package correctly. An example:
11703 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11704 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11707 To the thing similar to this, there is
11708 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
11709 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
11710 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
11712 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11713 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11714 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11716 @node POP before SMTP
11717 @section POP before SMTP
11718 @cindex pop before smtp
11719 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
11720 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
11722 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
11723 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
11724 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
11725 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
11726 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11729 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
11730 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
11734 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
11735 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
11736 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
11737 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
11738 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
11739 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
11740 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
11741 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
11743 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
11744 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
11745 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
11746 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
11747 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
11748 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
11751 (setq mail-source-primary-source
11752 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11753 :password "secret"))
11757 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
11758 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
11761 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
11763 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
11764 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11765 :password "secret")))
11766 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
11769 @node Mail and Post
11770 @section Mail and Post
11772 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11776 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11777 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11778 @cindex mailing lists
11780 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11781 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11782 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11783 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11784 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11785 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11786 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11787 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11788 still a pain, though.
11790 @item gnus-user-agent
11791 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11794 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11795 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11796 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11797 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11798 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11799 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11800 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11804 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11805 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11806 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11809 @findex ispell-message
11811 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11814 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11815 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11818 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11822 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11823 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11825 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11828 Modify to suit your needs.
11831 @node Archived Messages
11832 @section Archived Messages
11833 @cindex archived messages
11834 @cindex sent messages
11836 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11837 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11838 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11839 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11842 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11843 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11846 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11847 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11848 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11851 (nnfolder "archive"
11852 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11853 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11854 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11855 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11858 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11859 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11860 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11861 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11864 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11865 '(nnfolder "archive"
11866 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11867 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11868 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11871 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11873 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11874 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11875 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11877 This variable can be used to do the following:
11881 Messages will be saved in that group.
11883 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11884 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11885 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11886 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11887 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11888 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11889 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11890 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11893 @item a list of strings
11894 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11896 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11897 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11900 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11905 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11907 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11910 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11912 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11915 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11917 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11918 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11919 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11920 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11923 More complex stuff:
11925 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11926 '((if (message-news-p)
11931 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11932 messages in one file per month:
11935 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11936 '((if (message-news-p)
11938 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11941 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11942 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11944 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11945 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11946 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11947 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11948 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11949 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11950 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11951 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11952 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11953 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11955 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11956 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11957 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11958 this will disable archiving.
11961 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11962 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11963 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11964 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11965 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11968 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11969 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11970 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11973 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11974 but the latter is the preferred method.
11976 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11977 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11978 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11980 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11981 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11982 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11983 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11984 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11985 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11986 changed in the future.
11991 @node Posting Styles
11992 @section Posting Styles
11993 @cindex posting styles
11996 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11998 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11999 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12000 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12003 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12004 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12005 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12006 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12007 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12012 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12013 (organization "What me?"))
12015 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12016 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12017 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12020 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12021 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12022 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12023 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12024 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12025 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12026 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12027 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12029 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12030 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12031 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12032 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12033 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12034 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12035 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12036 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12037 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12038 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12039 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12040 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12041 said to @dfn{match}.
12043 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12044 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12045 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12046 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12047 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12048 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12049 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12050 name can be one of:
12053 @item @code{signature}
12054 @item @code{signature-file}
12055 @item @code{x-face-file}
12056 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12057 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12061 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12062 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12063 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12064 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12065 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12067 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12068 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12069 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12070 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12071 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12072 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12073 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12074 references chars lines xref extra.
12076 @vindex message-reply-headers
12078 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12079 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12080 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12082 @findex message-mail-p
12083 @findex message-news-p
12085 So here's a new example:
12088 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12090 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12092 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12093 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12094 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12096 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12097 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12098 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12099 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12100 (signature my-news-signature))
12101 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12102 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12103 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12104 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12105 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12106 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12107 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12108 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12109 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12110 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12112 (From (save-excursion
12113 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12114 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12116 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12119 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12120 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12121 if you fill many roles.
12128 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12129 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12130 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12131 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12132 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12134 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12135 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12136 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12137 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12138 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12142 @vindex nndraft-directory
12143 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12144 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12145 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12146 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12147 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12148 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12150 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12151 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12152 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12153 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12154 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12155 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12156 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12157 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12158 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12160 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12161 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12162 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12163 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12164 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12165 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12166 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12167 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12168 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12169 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12170 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12171 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12172 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12173 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12175 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12176 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12177 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12179 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12180 @kindex D e (Draft)
12181 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12182 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12183 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12185 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12188 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12189 @kindex D s (Draft)
12190 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12191 @kindex D S (Draft)
12192 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12193 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12194 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12195 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12196 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12199 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12200 @kindex D t (Draft)
12201 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12202 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12203 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12206 @node Rejected Articles
12207 @section Rejected Articles
12208 @cindex rejected articles
12210 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12211 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12212 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12213 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12215 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12216 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12217 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12218 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12219 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12221 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12222 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12223 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12225 @node Signing and encrypting
12226 @section Signing and encrypting
12228 @cindex using s/mime
12229 @cindex using smime
12231 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12232 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12233 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12234 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12236 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12237 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12238 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12239 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12240 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12241 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12242 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12243 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12244 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12245 automatically encrypted messages.
12247 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12248 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12249 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12254 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12255 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12257 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12260 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12261 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12263 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12266 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12267 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12269 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12272 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12273 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12275 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12278 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12279 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12281 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12284 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12285 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12287 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12290 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12291 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12292 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12296 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12298 @node Select Methods
12299 @chapter Select Methods
12300 @cindex foreign groups
12301 @cindex select methods
12303 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12304 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12305 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12306 personal mail group.
12308 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12309 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12310 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12311 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12312 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12313 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12315 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12316 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12318 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12321 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12322 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12323 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12324 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12325 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12327 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12330 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12331 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12332 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12333 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12334 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12335 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12336 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12337 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12338 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12342 @node Server Buffer
12343 @section Server Buffer
12345 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12346 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12347 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12348 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12349 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12350 back end represents a virtual server.
12352 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12353 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12354 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12355 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12357 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12358 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12359 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12360 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12361 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12362 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12363 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12365 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12366 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12369 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12370 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12371 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12372 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12373 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12374 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12375 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12378 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12379 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12382 @node Server Buffer Format
12383 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12384 @cindex server buffer format
12386 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12387 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12388 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12389 variable, with some simple extensions:
12394 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12397 The name of this server.
12400 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12403 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12406 Whether this server is agentized.
12409 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12410 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12411 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12412 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12422 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12425 @node Server Commands
12426 @subsection Server Commands
12427 @cindex server commands
12433 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12434 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12438 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12439 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12442 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12443 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12444 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12448 @findex gnus-server-exit
12449 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12453 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12454 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12458 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12459 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12463 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12464 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12468 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12469 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12473 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12474 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12475 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12480 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12481 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12482 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12483 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12488 @node Example Methods
12489 @subsection Example Methods
12491 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12494 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12497 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12503 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12504 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12507 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12508 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12510 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12511 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12515 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12518 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12519 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12521 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12522 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12523 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12527 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12530 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12533 Here's the method for a public spool:
12537 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12538 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12544 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12545 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12546 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12547 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12548 should probably look something like this:
12552 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12553 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12554 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12555 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12558 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12559 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12560 configuration to the example above:
12563 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12566 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
12567 an indirect connection:
12569 (setq gnus-select-method
12571 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
12572 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
12573 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
12574 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12575 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
12576 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
12577 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
12580 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12581 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12582 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12586 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12587 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12588 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12589 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12592 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12593 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12594 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12595 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12598 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12599 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12601 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12602 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12604 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12605 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
12606 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12608 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
12610 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
12611 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12612 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12613 will contain the following:
12623 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
12624 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12627 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12628 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12629 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12632 @node Server Variables
12633 @subsection Server Variables
12634 @cindex server variables
12635 @cindex server parameters
12637 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12638 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12639 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12640 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12641 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12643 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12644 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12645 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12646 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12647 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12648 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12649 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12650 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12651 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12655 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12656 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12657 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12660 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12662 @node Servers and Methods
12663 @subsection Servers and Methods
12665 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12666 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12667 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12668 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12672 @node Unavailable Servers
12673 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12675 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12676 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12677 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12678 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12679 actually the case or not.
12681 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12682 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12683 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12684 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12685 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12686 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12687 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12688 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12690 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12691 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12693 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12694 with the following commands:
12700 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12701 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12702 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12706 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12707 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12708 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12712 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12713 Mark the current server as unreachable
12714 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12717 @kindex M-o (Server)
12718 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12719 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12720 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12723 @kindex M-c (Server)
12724 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12725 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12726 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12730 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12731 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12732 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12736 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12737 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12743 @section Getting News
12744 @cindex reading news
12745 @cindex news back ends
12747 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12748 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12749 or it can read from a local spool.
12752 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12753 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12761 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12762 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12763 server as the, uhm, address.
12765 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12766 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12767 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12768 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12770 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12771 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12772 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12774 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12779 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12780 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12781 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12783 @cindex authentification
12784 @cindex nntp authentification
12785 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12786 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12787 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12788 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12789 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12790 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12791 present in this hook.
12793 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12794 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12795 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12796 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12797 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12798 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12799 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12800 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12801 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12802 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12803 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12804 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12808 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12811 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12813 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12814 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12815 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12816 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12817 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12818 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12819 @samp{force} is explained below.
12823 Here's an example file:
12826 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12827 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12830 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12831 have to be first, for instance.
12833 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12834 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12835 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12836 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12837 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12838 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12839 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12841 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12842 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12848 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12849 previously mentioned.
12851 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12853 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12854 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12855 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12856 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12857 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12860 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12861 '(("innd" (ding))))
12864 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12866 The default value is
12869 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12870 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12871 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12874 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12875 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12877 @item nntp-maximum-request
12878 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12879 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12880 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12881 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12882 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12883 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12884 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12886 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12887 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12888 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12889 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12890 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12891 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12892 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12893 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12894 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12895 no timeouts are done.
12897 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12898 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12899 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12900 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12903 @item nntp-xover-commands
12904 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12905 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12907 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12908 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12912 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12913 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12914 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12915 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12916 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12917 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12918 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12919 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12920 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12921 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12922 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12924 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12925 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12926 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12928 @item nntp-record-commands
12929 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12930 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12931 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12932 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12933 that doesn't seem to work.
12935 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12936 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12937 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12938 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12939 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12940 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
12941 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
12942 indirect ones (three pre-made).
12944 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12945 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12946 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12947 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12948 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12949 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12950 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12953 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12956 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12957 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12962 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12963 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12964 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12965 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
12969 @node Direct Functions
12970 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12971 @cindex direct connection functions
12973 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12974 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12975 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12976 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12979 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12980 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12981 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12984 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12985 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12986 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12987 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12988 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12991 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12992 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12994 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12995 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12996 (nntp-port-number )
12997 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13000 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13001 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13002 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13003 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
13004 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
13005 then define a server as follows:
13008 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13009 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13011 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13012 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13013 (nntp-port-number 563)
13014 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13017 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13018 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13019 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13020 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13021 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13022 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13023 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13024 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13028 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13029 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13030 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13033 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13034 session, which is not a good idea.
13038 @node Indirect Functions
13039 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13040 @cindex indirect connection functions
13042 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13043 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13044 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13045 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13046 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13047 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13050 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13051 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13052 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13053 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13054 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13056 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13059 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13060 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13061 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13062 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13064 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13065 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13066 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13067 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13068 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13069 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13070 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13071 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13075 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13076 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13078 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13079 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13080 Does essentially the same, but uses
13081 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13082 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13084 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13087 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13088 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13089 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13090 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13091 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13094 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13095 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13096 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13097 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13099 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13100 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13101 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13102 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13104 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13105 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13106 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13107 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13110 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13111 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13112 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13113 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13115 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13118 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13119 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13120 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13123 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13124 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13125 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13126 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13128 @item nntp-via-user-password
13129 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13130 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13132 @item nntp-via-envuser
13133 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13134 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13135 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13136 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13138 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13139 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13140 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13141 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13145 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13146 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13150 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13155 @item nntp-via-user-name
13156 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13157 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13159 @item nntp-via-address
13160 @vindex nntp-via-address
13161 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13166 @node Common Variables
13167 @subsubsection Common Variables
13169 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13170 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13171 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13172 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13173 variables individually).
13177 @item nntp-pre-command
13178 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13179 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13180 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13181 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13182 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13185 @vindex nntp-address
13186 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13188 @item nntp-port-number
13189 @vindex nntp-port-number
13190 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13191 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13192 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13193 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13194 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13195 not work with named ports.
13197 @item nntp-end-of-line
13198 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13199 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13200 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13201 using a non native telnet connection function.
13203 @item nntp-telnet-command
13204 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13205 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13206 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13207 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13210 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13211 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13212 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13218 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13219 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13221 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13222 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13223 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13224 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13225 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13226 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13227 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13228 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13230 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13231 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13232 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13233 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13234 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13236 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13237 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13238 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13239 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13240 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13241 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13242 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13244 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13245 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13246 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13252 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13253 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13254 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13255 default is @code{nil}.
13257 @item nntp-marks-directory
13258 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13259 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13265 @subsection News Spool
13269 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13270 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13271 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13274 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13275 anything else) as the address.
13277 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13278 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13279 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13280 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13284 @item nnspool-inews-program
13285 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13286 Program used to post an article.
13288 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13289 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13290 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13292 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13293 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13294 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13295 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13297 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13298 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13299 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13300 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13302 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13303 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13304 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13306 @item nnspool-active-file
13307 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13308 The name of the active file.
13310 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13311 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13312 The name of the group descriptions file.
13314 @item nnspool-history-file
13315 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13316 The name of the news history file.
13318 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13319 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13320 The name of the active date file.
13322 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13323 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13324 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13327 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13328 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13330 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13331 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13332 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13339 @section Getting Mail
13340 @cindex reading mail
13343 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13347 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13348 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13349 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13350 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13351 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13352 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13353 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13354 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13355 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13356 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13357 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13358 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13359 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13363 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13364 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13366 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13367 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13368 of a culture shock.
13370 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13371 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13373 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13374 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13375 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13376 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13378 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13380 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13381 deleted? How awful!
13383 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13384 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13385 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13386 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13389 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13390 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13391 they want to treat a message.
13393 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13394 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13395 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13396 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13397 archived somewhere else.
13399 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13400 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13401 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13402 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13403 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13405 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13406 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13407 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13409 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13410 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13413 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13414 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13415 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13416 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13417 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13419 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13420 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13421 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13422 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13423 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13424 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13428 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13429 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13431 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13432 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13433 and things will happen automatically.
13435 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13436 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13439 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13442 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13443 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13444 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13445 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13446 like any other group.
13448 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13451 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13452 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13453 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13457 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13458 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13459 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13462 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13463 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13464 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13467 @node Splitting Mail
13468 @subsection Splitting Mail
13469 @cindex splitting mail
13470 @cindex mail splitting
13471 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
13473 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13474 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13475 to be split into groups.
13478 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13479 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13480 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13481 ("mail.other" "")))
13484 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13485 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13486 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13487 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13488 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13489 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13490 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13493 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13497 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
13498 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
13500 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13501 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13502 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13503 mail belongs in that group.
13505 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
13506 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13507 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
13508 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13509 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
13510 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
13511 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
13512 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
13513 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
13514 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
13516 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13517 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13518 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13519 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13520 thinks should carry this mail message.
13522 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13523 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13524 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13525 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13527 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13528 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13529 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13530 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13531 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
13533 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13536 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13537 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13538 links. If that's the case for you, set
13539 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13540 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13542 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13543 @findex nnmail-split-history
13544 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13545 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13546 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13547 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13550 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13551 Header lines longer than the value of
13552 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13555 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13556 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13557 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13558 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13559 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13560 charset for decoding. The behavior can be turned off completely by
13561 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13562 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13564 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13565 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13566 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13567 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
13568 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13569 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13570 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13571 other kinds of entries.)
13573 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13574 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13575 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13576 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13577 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13578 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13579 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13580 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13581 month's rent money.
13585 @subsection Mail Sources
13587 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13588 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13589 maildir, for instance.
13592 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13593 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13594 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13598 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13599 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13601 @cindex mail server
13604 @cindex mail source
13606 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13607 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13612 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13615 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13616 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13617 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13620 The following mail source types are available:
13624 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13630 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13631 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13632 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13636 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13639 An example file mail source:
13642 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13645 Or using the default file name:
13651 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13652 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13653 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13654 mail spool while moving the mail.
13656 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13660 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13663 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13667 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13670 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13672 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13675 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13679 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13680 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13681 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13682 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13683 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13684 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13685 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13686 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13687 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13688 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13690 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13691 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13692 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13693 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13699 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13703 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13707 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13708 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13709 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13710 predicate are considered.
13714 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13718 An example directory mail source:
13721 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13726 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13732 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13733 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13736 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13737 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13738 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13739 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13740 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13743 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13747 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13748 the user is prompted.
13751 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13752 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13755 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13758 The valid format specifier characters are:
13762 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13763 included in this string.
13766 The name of the server.
13769 The port number of the server.
13772 The user name to use.
13775 The password to use.
13778 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13779 corresponding keywords.
13782 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13783 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13786 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13787 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13790 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13791 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13792 mail should be moved to.
13794 @item :authentication
13795 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13796 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13801 @vindex pop3-movemail
13802 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
13803 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13804 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
13805 @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
13806 left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
13807 @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
13808 information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
13809 what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
13810 thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
13812 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13813 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13819 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13822 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13823 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13826 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13829 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13833 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13834 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13835 contains exactly one mail.
13841 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13842 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13845 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13846 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13848 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13849 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13850 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13853 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13854 from locking problems).
13858 Two example maildir mail sources:
13861 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13862 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13866 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13871 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13872 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13873 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13874 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13875 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13877 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13878 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13884 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13885 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13888 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13889 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13892 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13896 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13900 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13901 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13902 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13903 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13905 @item :authentication
13906 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13907 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13908 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13909 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13912 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13913 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13914 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13920 The valid format specifier characters are:
13924 The name of the server.
13927 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13930 The port number of the server.
13933 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13934 corresponding keywords.
13937 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13938 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13941 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13942 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13943 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13944 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13945 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13946 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13949 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13950 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13951 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13952 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13955 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13956 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13960 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13963 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13965 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13969 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
13970 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
13971 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
13973 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13974 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13976 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13982 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13983 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13986 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13990 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13994 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13995 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13999 An example webmail source:
14002 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
14004 :password "secret")
14009 @item Common Keywords
14010 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14016 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14017 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14022 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14027 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14028 useful when you use local mail and news.
14033 @subsubsection Function Interface
14035 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14036 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14037 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14038 consider the following mail-source setting:
14041 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14042 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14045 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14046 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14047 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14048 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14049 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14051 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14054 @node Mail Source Customization
14055 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14057 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14058 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14062 @item mail-source-crash-box
14063 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14064 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14065 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14067 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14068 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14069 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14070 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14071 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14072 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14073 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14074 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14076 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14077 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14078 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14079 files. This variable only applies when
14080 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14082 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14083 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14084 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14086 @item mail-source-directory
14087 @vindex mail-source-directory
14088 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14089 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14090 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14091 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14093 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14094 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14095 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14096 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14097 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14098 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14101 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14102 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14103 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14105 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14106 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14107 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14108 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14113 @node Fetching Mail
14114 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14116 @vindex mail-sources
14117 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14118 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14119 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14120 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14122 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14123 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14126 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14127 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14132 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14133 :password "secret")))
14136 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14140 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14141 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14144 :password "secret")))
14148 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14149 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14150 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14151 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14152 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14153 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14157 @node Mail Back End Variables
14158 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14160 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14164 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14165 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14166 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14167 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14169 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14170 @item nnmail-split-hook
14171 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14172 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14173 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14174 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14175 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14176 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14177 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14178 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14179 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14182 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14183 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14184 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14185 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14186 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14187 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14188 starting to handle the new mail) and
14189 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14190 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14191 default file modes the new mail files get:
14194 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14195 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14197 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14198 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14201 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14202 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14203 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14204 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14205 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14206 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14207 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14209 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14210 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14211 @findex delete-file
14212 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14214 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14215 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14216 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14217 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14218 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14220 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14221 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14222 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14223 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14224 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14226 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14227 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14228 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14233 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14234 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14235 @cindex mail splitting
14236 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14238 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14239 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14240 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14241 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14242 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14243 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14245 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14248 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14249 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14250 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14251 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14253 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14254 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14255 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14256 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14257 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14258 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14259 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14260 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14261 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14262 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14263 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14264 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14265 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14266 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14267 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14268 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14269 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14273 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14274 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14275 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14280 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14281 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14283 @c Don't fold this line.
14284 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
14285 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
14286 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
14287 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
14290 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
14291 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
14292 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
14293 @var{split} is processed.
14295 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
14296 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
14297 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
14298 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14300 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14301 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14302 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14303 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14304 stored in one or more groups.
14306 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14307 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14308 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14311 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14312 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14314 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14315 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14316 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14317 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14320 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14321 body of the messages:
14324 (defun split-on-body ()
14328 (goto-char (point-min))
14329 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14333 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14334 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14335 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14336 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14337 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14338 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14339 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14341 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14342 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14343 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14344 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14345 should return a split.
14348 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14352 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14354 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
14355 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
14356 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
14357 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
14361 (any "joe" "joemail")
14365 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
14366 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
14367 of the following three ways:
14371 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14372 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14373 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
14374 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
14375 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
14378 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
14381 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
14382 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
14383 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
14384 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
14385 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
14388 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
14389 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
14390 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
14391 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14392 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
14393 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14394 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14397 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14398 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14399 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14400 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14401 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14402 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14403 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14407 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14409 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14410 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14412 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14415 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14416 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14417 when all this splitting is performed.
14419 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14420 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14421 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14424 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14427 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14428 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14430 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14431 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14432 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14433 groupings 1 through 9.
14435 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14436 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14437 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14438 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14439 groups when users send to an address using different case
14440 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14443 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14444 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14445 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14446 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14447 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14448 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14449 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14450 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14451 it once per thread.
14453 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14454 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14455 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14456 using the colon feature, like so:
14458 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14459 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14461 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14462 ;; @r{other splits go here}
14466 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
14467 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
14468 in the file specified by the variable
14469 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
14470 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
14471 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
14472 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
14473 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
14474 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
14475 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
14476 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
14477 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
14478 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
14479 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
14480 300 kBytes in size.)
14481 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14482 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
14483 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
14484 messages goes into the new group.
14486 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
14487 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
14488 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
14489 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
14490 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
14491 ``outgoing'' group.
14494 @node Group Mail Splitting
14495 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
14496 @cindex mail splitting
14497 @cindex group mail splitting
14499 @findex gnus-group-split
14500 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
14501 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
14502 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
14503 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
14504 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
14505 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
14506 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
14507 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
14509 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
14510 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
14511 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14512 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
14514 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14515 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14516 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14517 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
14518 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14519 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14520 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14522 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14523 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14524 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14525 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14526 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
14527 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14528 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14530 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14531 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14532 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14533 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14534 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14535 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14536 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14537 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14538 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14539 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14540 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14541 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14542 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14544 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14549 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14550 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14552 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14553 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14554 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14555 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14557 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14560 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14561 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14562 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14565 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14566 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14567 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14571 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14572 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14573 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14577 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14580 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14581 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14582 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14583 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14584 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14585 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
14586 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14587 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14588 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14590 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14591 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14592 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14593 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14594 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14595 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14596 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14597 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14598 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14600 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14601 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14602 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14603 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14604 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14605 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14608 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14611 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14612 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14613 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14614 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14615 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14618 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14619 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14620 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14621 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14623 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14624 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14625 @cindex incorporating old mail
14626 @cindex import old mail
14628 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14629 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14630 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14633 Doing so can be quite easy.
14635 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14636 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14637 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14638 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14639 your @code{nnml} groups.
14645 Go to the group buffer.
14648 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14649 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14652 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14655 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14656 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14659 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14660 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14663 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14664 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14665 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14666 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14667 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14669 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14670 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14671 using the new mail back end.
14674 @node Expiring Mail
14675 @subsection Expiring Mail
14676 @cindex article expiry
14678 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14679 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14680 different approach to mail reading.
14682 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14683 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14684 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14685 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14686 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14687 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14690 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14691 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14692 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14693 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14694 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14695 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14696 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14697 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14698 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14700 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14701 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
14702 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14703 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
14704 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14705 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14706 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14709 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14710 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14711 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14712 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14713 into its own group.)
14715 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14716 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14717 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14718 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14719 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14720 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14721 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
14722 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14725 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14726 Groups that match the regular expression
14727 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14728 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14729 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14731 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14732 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14733 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14734 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14735 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14737 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14739 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14740 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14741 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14744 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14745 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14746 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14747 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14748 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14750 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14751 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14754 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14755 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14758 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14759 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14761 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14762 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14763 don't really mix very well.
14765 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14766 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14767 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14768 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14771 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14772 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14773 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14774 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14777 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14779 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14781 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14783 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14785 ((string= group "important")
14791 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14792 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14794 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14795 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14796 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14799 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14800 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14802 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14803 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14804 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14805 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14806 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14807 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14808 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14809 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14810 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14811 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14812 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14813 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14814 name or @code{delete}.
14816 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14818 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14821 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14822 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14823 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14824 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14825 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14828 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14829 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14830 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14831 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14832 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14835 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14836 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14837 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14838 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14839 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14840 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14842 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14843 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14844 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14845 easier for procmail users.
14847 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14848 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14849 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14850 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14851 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14852 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14853 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14854 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14855 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14856 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14857 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14858 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14859 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14862 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14864 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14865 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14866 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14867 auto-expire turned on.
14871 @subsection Washing Mail
14872 @cindex mail washing
14873 @cindex list server brain damage
14874 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14876 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14877 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14878 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14879 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14880 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14881 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14883 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14884 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14885 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14888 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14889 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14890 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14891 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14894 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14895 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14896 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14897 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14898 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14901 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14902 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14903 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14904 Emacs running on MS machines.
14908 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14909 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14910 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14911 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14914 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14915 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14916 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14917 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14919 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14920 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14921 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14922 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14923 into a feature by documenting it.)
14925 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14926 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14927 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14928 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14929 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14930 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14931 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14934 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14935 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14938 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14939 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14942 This can also be done non-destructively with
14943 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14945 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14946 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14947 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14949 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14950 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14952 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14953 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14954 @code{References} headers.
14958 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14959 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14960 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14964 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14965 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14966 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14973 @subsection Duplicates
14975 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14976 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14977 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14978 @cindex duplicate mails
14979 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14980 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14981 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14982 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14983 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14984 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14985 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14986 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14987 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14988 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14989 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14990 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14991 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14993 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14994 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14995 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14996 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14998 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
15001 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
15002 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
15006 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
15007 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
15008 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
15009 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
15010 (any mail "mail.misc")
15011 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15017 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15018 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15019 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15023 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15024 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15025 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15026 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15027 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15030 @node Not Reading Mail
15031 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15033 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15034 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15035 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15037 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15038 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15039 mail, which should help.
15041 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15042 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15043 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15044 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15045 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15046 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15047 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15048 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15049 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15050 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15051 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15053 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15054 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15058 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15059 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15061 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15062 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15063 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15065 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15066 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15067 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15071 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15072 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15073 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15074 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15075 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15076 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15077 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15081 @node Unix Mail Box
15082 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15084 @cindex unix mail box
15086 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15087 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15088 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15089 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15090 which group it belongs in.
15092 Virtual server settings:
15095 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15096 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15097 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15100 @item nnmbox-active-file
15101 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15102 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15103 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15105 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15106 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15107 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15108 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15113 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15117 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15118 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15119 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15120 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15121 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15123 Virtual server settings:
15126 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15127 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15128 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15130 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15131 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15132 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15133 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15135 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15136 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15137 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15143 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15145 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15147 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15148 format. It should be used with some caution.
15150 @vindex nnml-directory
15151 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15152 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15153 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15154 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15156 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15159 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15160 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15161 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15162 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15163 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15164 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15165 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15166 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15168 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15169 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15170 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15171 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15173 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15175 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15176 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15177 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15178 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15179 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15180 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15181 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15182 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15185 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15186 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15187 them next time it starts.
15189 Virtual server settings:
15192 @item nnml-directory
15193 @vindex nnml-directory
15194 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15195 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15198 @item nnml-active-file
15199 @vindex nnml-active-file
15200 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15201 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15203 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15204 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15205 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15206 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15208 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15209 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15210 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15213 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15214 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15215 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15216 default is @code{nil}.
15218 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15219 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15220 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15222 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15223 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15224 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15226 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15227 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15228 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15229 default is @code{nil}.
15231 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15232 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15233 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15235 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15236 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15237 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15238 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15239 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15240 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15241 as the file extension specifying the comression program. You can set it
15242 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15243 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15245 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15246 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15247 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15248 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15249 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
15253 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15254 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15255 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15256 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15257 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15258 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15259 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15264 @subsubsection MH Spool
15266 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15268 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15269 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15270 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15271 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15274 Virtual server settings:
15277 @item nnmh-directory
15278 @vindex nnmh-directory
15279 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15280 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15283 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15284 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15285 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15289 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15290 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15291 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15292 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15293 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15294 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15295 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15300 @subsubsection Maildir
15304 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15305 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15306 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15307 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15308 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15311 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15312 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15313 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15314 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15315 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15316 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15317 that appear as group in Gnus.
15319 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15320 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15321 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15323 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15324 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15325 another, and you will keep your marks.
15327 Virtual server settings:
15331 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15332 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15333 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15334 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15335 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15336 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15337 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15338 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15339 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15340 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15342 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15343 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15344 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15345 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15346 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15347 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15348 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15349 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15350 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15351 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15354 @item target-prefix
15355 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15356 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15357 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15360 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15361 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15362 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15363 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15364 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15365 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15366 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15367 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15368 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15370 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15371 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15372 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15373 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15374 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15376 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15377 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15378 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15379 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15380 @code{force} argument.
15382 @item directory-files
15383 This should be a function with the same interface as
15384 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15385 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15386 parameter is optional; the default is
15387 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15388 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15389 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15390 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15391 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15392 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15395 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15396 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15397 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15398 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15399 value is @code{nil}.
15401 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15402 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15403 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15404 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15405 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15408 @subsubsection Group parameters
15410 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15411 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15412 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15413 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15414 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15415 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15418 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15419 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15420 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15421 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15422 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15423 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15424 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15425 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15426 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15430 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15431 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15432 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15433 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15434 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15435 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15436 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15437 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15438 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15439 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15440 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15441 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15442 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15445 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15447 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15449 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15450 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15451 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15452 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15453 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15454 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15455 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15456 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15457 article. So that form can refer to
15458 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15459 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
15460 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
15461 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
15464 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
15465 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
15466 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
15467 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
15468 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
15469 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
15470 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
15471 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
15472 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
15473 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
15474 contain extra copies of the articles.
15476 @item directory-files
15477 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
15478 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
15479 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
15480 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
15482 @item distrust-Lines:
15483 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
15484 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
15485 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
15488 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
15489 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15490 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
15491 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
15492 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
15493 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15496 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
15497 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
15498 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
15499 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
15500 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
15501 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
15502 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
15504 @item nov-cache-size
15505 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
15506 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
15507 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
15508 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
15509 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
15510 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
15511 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
15512 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
15513 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
15514 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
15515 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
15518 @subsubsection Article identification
15519 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
15520 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
15521 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
15522 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
15523 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
15524 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
15525 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15526 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15527 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15528 request the article in the summary buffer.
15530 @subsubsection NOV data
15531 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
15532 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15533 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15534 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15535 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
15536 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
15537 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
15538 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
15539 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
15540 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
15541 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15543 @subsubsection Article marks
15544 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15545 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15546 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15547 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
15548 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
15549 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
15550 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
15551 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15553 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15554 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15555 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15556 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15557 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
15558 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
15559 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
15560 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
15561 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
15565 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15567 @cindex mbox folders
15568 @cindex mail folders
15570 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
15571 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
15572 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
15573 numbers and arrival dates.
15575 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15577 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15578 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15579 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15580 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15581 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15582 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15583 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
15584 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
15585 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
15586 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
15588 Virtual server settings:
15591 @item nnfolder-directory
15592 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15593 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
15594 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
15595 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
15597 @item nnfolder-active-file
15598 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15599 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15601 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15602 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15603 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15604 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15606 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15607 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15608 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
15609 default is @code{t}
15611 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15612 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15613 @cindex backup files
15614 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15615 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
15616 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
15617 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
15620 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15621 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15623 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15626 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15627 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15628 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15629 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15630 extract some information from it before removing it.
15632 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15633 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15634 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15635 default is @code{nil}.
15637 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15638 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15639 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15641 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15642 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15643 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15644 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15646 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15647 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15648 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15649 default is @code{nil}.
15651 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15652 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15653 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15655 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15656 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15657 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15658 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15663 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15664 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15665 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15666 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15667 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15668 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15671 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15672 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15674 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15675 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15676 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15677 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15678 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15680 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15681 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15682 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15683 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15684 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15685 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15686 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15687 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15690 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15691 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15692 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15693 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15698 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15699 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15700 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15701 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15702 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15703 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15704 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15705 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15706 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15707 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15708 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15709 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15710 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15715 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15716 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15717 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15718 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15719 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15720 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15721 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15722 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15723 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15724 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15725 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15726 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15727 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15728 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15730 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15731 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15736 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15737 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15738 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15739 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15740 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15741 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15742 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15743 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15744 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15745 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15746 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15747 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15748 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15749 provided by the active file and overviews.
15751 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15752 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15753 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15754 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15755 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15758 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15759 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15764 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15765 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15766 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15767 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15768 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15769 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15770 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15774 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15775 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15776 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15777 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15778 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15779 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15780 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15781 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15782 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15784 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15785 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15786 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15787 friendly mail back end all over.
15791 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15792 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15795 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15796 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15797 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15798 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15799 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15800 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15801 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15802 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15805 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15806 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15807 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
15808 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15809 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15810 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15811 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15812 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15813 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15814 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15815 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15817 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15818 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15819 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15820 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15821 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15824 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15825 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15826 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15827 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15828 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15829 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15830 removed in the future.
15832 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15833 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15834 on your file system.
15836 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15837 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15842 @node Browsing the Web
15843 @section Browsing the Web
15845 @cindex browsing the web
15849 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15850 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15851 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15852 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15853 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15854 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15855 even know what a news group is.
15857 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15858 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15859 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15860 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15861 you mad in the end.
15863 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15866 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15867 interfaces to these sources.
15871 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15872 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15873 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15874 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15875 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15876 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
15879 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
15880 alternatives to work.
15882 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15883 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15884 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15885 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15886 though, you should be ok.
15888 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15889 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15890 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15891 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15892 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15894 @node Archiving Mail
15895 @subsection Archiving Mail
15896 @cindex archiving mail
15897 @cindex backup of mail
15899 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15900 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15901 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15902 marks is fairly simple.
15904 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15905 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15908 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15909 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15910 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15911 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15912 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15913 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15914 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15915 before you restore the data.
15917 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15918 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15919 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15920 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15921 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15922 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15923 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15924 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15925 is unnecessary in that case.
15928 @subsection Web Searches
15933 @cindex Usenet searches
15934 @cindex searching the Usenet
15936 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15937 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15938 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15939 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15940 searches without having to use a browser.
15942 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15943 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15944 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15945 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15946 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15948 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15949 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15950 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15951 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15952 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15953 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15954 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15955 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15956 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15957 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15960 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15961 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15962 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
15963 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15964 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15965 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15967 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
15968 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
15969 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
15971 Virtual server variables:
15976 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15977 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15978 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15981 @vindex nnweb-search
15982 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15984 @item nnweb-max-hits
15985 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15986 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15989 @item nnweb-type-definition
15990 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15991 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15992 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15997 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16001 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16004 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16007 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16011 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
16018 @subsection Slashdot
16022 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
16023 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
16024 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
16026 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
16027 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16030 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16031 '((nnslashdot "")))
16034 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
16035 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
16036 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
16037 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
16038 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
16041 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
16042 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16044 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16045 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16046 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16047 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16048 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16049 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16050 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16052 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16055 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16056 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16057 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16058 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16059 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16060 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16061 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16063 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16064 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16065 The login name to use when posting.
16067 @item nnslashdot-password
16068 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16069 The password to use when posting.
16071 @item nnslashdot-directory
16072 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16073 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16074 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16076 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16077 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16078 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16079 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16080 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16082 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16083 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16084 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16086 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16087 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16088 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16089 article. The default is
16090 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16092 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16093 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16094 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16096 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16097 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16098 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16099 updated. The default is 0.
16106 @subsection Ultimate
16108 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16110 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16111 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16112 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16113 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16115 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16116 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16117 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16118 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16119 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16120 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16121 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16123 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16126 @item nnultimate-directory
16127 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16128 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16129 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16134 @subsection Web Archive
16136 @cindex Web Archive
16138 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16139 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16140 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16141 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16144 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16145 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16146 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16147 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16148 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16149 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16150 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16151 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16153 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16156 @item nnwarchive-directory
16157 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16158 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16159 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16161 @item nnwarchive-login
16162 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16163 The account name on the web server.
16165 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16166 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16167 The password for your account on the web server.
16175 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16176 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16177 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16178 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16179 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16181 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16182 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16184 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16185 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16186 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16189 @kindex G R (Group)
16190 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16191 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16192 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16193 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16195 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16196 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16197 subscribe to groups.
16199 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16200 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16201 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16202 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16203 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16204 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16205 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16206 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16208 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16209 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16210 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16213 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16214 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16217 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16218 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16222 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16223 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16224 @acronym{OPML} format.
16227 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16230 @item nnrss-directory
16231 @vindex nnrss-directory
16232 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16233 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16235 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16236 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16237 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16238 data files. The default is the value of
16239 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16240 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16242 @item nnrss-use-local
16243 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16244 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16245 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16246 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16247 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16248 download script using @command{wget}.
16250 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16251 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16252 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16253 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16254 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16255 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16256 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16257 @samp{text/html} parts.
16260 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16261 the summary buffer.
16264 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16265 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16267 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16269 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16270 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16273 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16277 (require 'browse-url)
16279 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
16281 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16284 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16285 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16288 (browse-url (cdr url))
16289 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16290 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16292 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16293 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16294 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16295 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16298 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16299 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16300 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16301 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16302 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16303 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16304 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16305 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16306 @code{nnrss} groups:
16309 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16310 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16312 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16313 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16314 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16316 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16319 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16323 @node Customizing W3
16324 @subsection Customizing W3
16330 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16331 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16332 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16335 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16336 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16337 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16340 (eval-after-load "w3"
16342 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16343 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16344 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16345 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16347 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16350 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16351 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16358 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16360 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16361 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16362 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16363 specify the network address of the server.
16365 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16366 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16367 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16368 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16369 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16370 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16372 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16373 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16374 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16375 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16377 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16378 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16379 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16380 usage explained in this section.
16382 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16383 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16384 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16388 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16389 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16390 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16392 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16393 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16394 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16396 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16397 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16398 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16399 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16400 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16401 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16402 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16403 (nnimap-stream network))
16404 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16406 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16407 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16408 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16411 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16412 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16413 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16414 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16416 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16421 @item nnimap-address
16422 @vindex nnimap-address
16424 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16425 server name if not specified.
16427 @item nnimap-server-port
16428 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16429 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16431 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16434 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16435 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16438 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16439 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16440 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16441 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16442 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16443 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16444 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16446 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16447 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16448 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
16451 Example server specification:
16454 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16455 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
16456 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
16459 @item nnimap-stream
16460 @vindex nnimap-stream
16461 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
16462 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
16463 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
16464 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
16465 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
16467 Example server specification:
16470 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16471 (nnimap-stream ssl))
16474 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
16478 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
16479 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
16481 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
16483 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
16484 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
16487 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
16488 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
16490 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
16491 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
16493 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
16495 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
16498 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
16499 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
16500 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
16501 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
16502 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
16503 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
16504 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
16505 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
16506 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
16509 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
16510 needed. It is available from
16511 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
16513 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
16514 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
16515 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
16516 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
16517 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
16518 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
16519 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
16522 @vindex imap-ssl-program
16523 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
16524 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
16525 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
16526 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
16527 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
16528 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
16531 @vindex imap-shell-program
16532 @vindex imap-shell-host
16533 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
16534 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
16536 @item nnimap-authenticator
16537 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
16539 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
16540 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
16542 Example server specification:
16545 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16546 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
16549 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
16553 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
16554 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
16556 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
16559 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
16560 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
16562 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
16564 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
16566 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
16569 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
16571 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
16572 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
16573 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
16574 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
16575 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
16576 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
16579 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
16580 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
16581 running in circles yet?
16583 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
16584 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
16587 The possible options are:
16592 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
16595 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
16596 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
16597 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
16598 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
16600 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
16605 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
16606 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
16608 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
16609 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
16610 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
16611 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
16612 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
16615 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
16616 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
16619 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
16620 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16621 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16622 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16625 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16626 as ticked for other users.
16628 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16630 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16632 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16633 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16634 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16635 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16637 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16638 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16639 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16640 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16642 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16643 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16645 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16646 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16647 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16648 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
16651 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
16654 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
16655 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
16656 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
16657 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
16660 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16661 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16663 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16664 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16670 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16671 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16672 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16673 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16674 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16675 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
16680 @node Splitting in IMAP
16681 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16682 @cindex splitting imap mail
16684 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
16685 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16686 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
16687 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
16688 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
16692 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
16693 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
16694 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
16696 Here are the variables of interest:
16700 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16701 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16703 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16705 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16706 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16707 found will be used.
16709 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16711 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16712 @cindex splitting, inbox
16714 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16716 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16717 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16718 splitting is disabled!
16721 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16722 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16725 No nnmail equivalent.
16727 @item nnimap-split-rule
16728 @cindex splitting, rules
16729 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16731 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16734 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16735 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16736 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16737 Neither did I, we need examples.
16740 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16742 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16743 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16744 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16747 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16748 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16749 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16751 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
16752 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16756 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16759 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16760 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16762 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16763 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16764 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16765 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16767 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16768 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16769 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16770 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16771 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16772 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16774 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16775 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16776 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16778 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16779 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16780 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16782 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16784 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16785 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16786 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16789 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16790 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16791 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16792 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16793 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16794 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16797 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16798 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16799 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16800 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16801 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16802 group/function elements.
16804 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16806 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16808 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16810 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16811 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16813 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16814 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16815 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16818 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16819 @cindex splitting, fancy
16820 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16821 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16823 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16824 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16825 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16827 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16828 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16829 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16830 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16835 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16836 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16839 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16841 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16842 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16843 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16845 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16846 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16847 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16848 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
16852 @node Expiring in IMAP
16853 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16854 @cindex expiring imap mail
16856 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16857 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16858 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16859 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16860 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16861 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16864 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16865 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16866 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16867 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16868 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16869 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16870 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16871 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16875 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16876 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16878 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16879 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16881 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16883 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16884 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16885 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16886 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16890 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16891 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16892 @cindex editing imap acls
16893 @cindex Access Control Lists
16894 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16895 @kindex G l (Group)
16896 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16898 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16899 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16900 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16903 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16904 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
16905 editing window with detailed instructions.
16907 Some possible uses:
16911 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16912 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16913 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16915 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16916 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16917 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16921 @node Expunging mailboxes
16922 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16926 @cindex manual expunging
16927 @kindex G x (Group)
16928 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16930 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16931 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16932 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16934 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16937 @node A note on namespaces
16938 @subsection A note on namespaces
16939 @cindex IMAP namespace
16942 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16943 by the following text in the RFC2060:
16946 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16948 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16949 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16950 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16951 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16953 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16954 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16955 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16956 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16957 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16958 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16961 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16962 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16963 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16965 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16966 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16967 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16968 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16969 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16970 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16971 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16972 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16975 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16976 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16977 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16979 @node Debugging IMAP
16980 @subsection Debugging IMAP
16981 @cindex IMAP debugging
16982 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
16984 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
16985 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
16986 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
16987 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
16989 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
16990 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
16991 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
16992 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
16993 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
16994 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
16995 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
16999 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
17000 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
17007 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
17008 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
17009 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
17010 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
17013 @node Other Sources
17014 @section Other Sources
17016 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17017 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17021 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17022 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17023 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17024 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
17025 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17029 @node Directory Groups
17030 @subsection Directory Groups
17032 @cindex directory groups
17034 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17035 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17038 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17039 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17040 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17041 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17043 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17044 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17045 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17046 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17047 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17049 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17051 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17052 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17053 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17054 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17057 @node Anything Groups
17058 @subsection Anything Groups
17061 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17062 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17063 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17066 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17067 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17068 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17069 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17070 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17071 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17072 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17073 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17074 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17075 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17078 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17079 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17080 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17081 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17083 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17084 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17085 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17086 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17088 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17089 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17090 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17091 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17092 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17093 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17094 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17095 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17100 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17101 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17102 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17103 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17105 @item nneething-exclude-files
17106 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17107 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17108 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17110 @item nneething-include-files
17111 @vindex nneething-include-files
17112 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17113 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17115 @item nneething-map-file
17116 @vindex nneething-map-file
17117 Name of the map files.
17121 @node Document Groups
17122 @subsection Document Groups
17124 @cindex documentation group
17127 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17128 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17134 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17139 The standard Unix mbox file.
17141 @cindex MMDF mail box
17143 The MMDF mail box format.
17146 Several news articles appended into a file.
17148 @cindex rnews batch files
17150 The rnews batch transport format.
17153 Netscape mail boxes.
17156 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17158 @item standard-digest
17159 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17162 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17164 @item lanl-gov-announce
17165 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17167 @cindex forwarded messages
17168 @item rfc822-forward
17169 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17172 The Outlook mail box.
17175 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17178 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17181 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17184 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17190 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17193 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17199 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17200 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17201 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17204 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17205 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17206 group. And that's it.
17208 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17209 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17210 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17211 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17212 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17213 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17214 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17215 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17216 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17217 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17219 Virtual server variables:
17222 @item nndoc-article-type
17223 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17224 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17225 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17226 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17227 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17228 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17230 @item nndoc-post-type
17231 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17232 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17233 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17238 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17242 @node Document Server Internals
17243 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17245 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17246 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17247 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17248 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17250 First, here's an example document type definition:
17254 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17255 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17258 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17259 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17260 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17261 types can be defined with very few settings:
17264 @item first-article
17265 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17266 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17269 @item article-begin
17270 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17271 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17272 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17273 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17275 @item article-begin-function
17276 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17277 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17280 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17281 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17282 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17284 @item head-begin-function
17285 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17286 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17289 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17290 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17293 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17294 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17295 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17297 @item body-begin-function
17298 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17299 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17302 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17303 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17304 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17306 @item body-end-function
17307 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17308 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17311 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17312 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17315 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17316 regexp will be totally ignored.
17320 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17321 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17322 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17323 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17324 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17327 @item prepare-body-function
17328 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17329 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17330 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17332 @item article-transform-function
17333 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17334 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17335 body of the article.
17337 @item generate-head-function
17338 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17339 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17340 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17341 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17343 @item generate-article-function
17344 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17345 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17346 parameter when requesting all articles.
17348 @item dissection-function
17349 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17350 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17351 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17352 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17353 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17354 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17358 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17363 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17364 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17365 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17366 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17367 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17368 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17369 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17370 (subtype digest guess))
17373 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17374 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17375 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
17376 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
17377 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
17379 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
17380 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
17381 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
17382 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
17383 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
17384 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
17385 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
17386 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
17387 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
17388 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
17389 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
17390 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
17398 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
17399 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
17400 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
17402 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
17403 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
17404 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
17407 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
17408 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
17409 that interested in doing things properly.
17411 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
17412 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
17415 First some terminology:
17420 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
17421 get news and/or mail from.
17424 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
17425 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
17428 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
17432 @item message packets
17433 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
17434 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
17435 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17437 @item response packets
17438 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
17439 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
17440 default, where @var{x} is a number.
17450 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
17451 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
17452 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
17453 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
17456 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
17459 You put the packet in your home directory.
17462 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
17463 the native or secondary server.
17466 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
17467 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
17470 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
17474 You transfer this packet to the server.
17477 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
17480 You then repeat until you die.
17484 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
17485 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
17488 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
17489 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
17490 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
17494 @node SOUP Commands
17495 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
17497 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
17501 @kindex G s b (Group)
17502 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
17503 Pack all unread articles in the current group
17504 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
17505 process/prefix convention.
17508 @kindex G s w (Group)
17509 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
17510 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
17513 @kindex G s s (Group)
17514 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
17515 Send all replies from the replies packet
17516 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
17519 @kindex G s p (Group)
17520 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
17521 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
17524 @kindex G s r (Group)
17525 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
17526 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
17529 @kindex O s (Summary)
17530 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
17531 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
17532 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
17533 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17538 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
17543 @item gnus-soup-directory
17544 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
17545 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
17546 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
17548 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
17549 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
17550 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
17551 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
17553 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
17554 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
17555 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
17556 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
17558 @item gnus-soup-packer
17559 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
17560 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17561 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
17563 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
17564 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
17565 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
17566 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17568 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
17569 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
17570 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
17572 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17573 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
17574 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
17575 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
17581 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
17584 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
17585 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
17586 you can read them at leisure.
17588 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
17592 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
17593 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
17594 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
17595 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
17597 @item nnsoup-directory
17598 @vindex nnsoup-directory
17599 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
17600 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
17602 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
17603 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
17604 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
17605 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
17607 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
17608 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
17609 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
17610 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
17611 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
17613 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
17614 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
17615 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
17616 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
17618 @item nnsoup-active-file
17619 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
17620 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
17621 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
17622 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
17623 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
17625 @item nnsoup-packer
17626 @vindex nnsoup-packer
17627 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
17628 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
17630 @item nnsoup-unpacker
17631 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
17632 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
17633 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
17635 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
17636 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
17637 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
17640 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
17641 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
17642 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
17645 @item nnsoup-always-save
17646 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
17647 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
17653 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
17655 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
17656 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
17657 more for that to happen.
17659 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
17660 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
17661 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
17664 In specific, this is what it does:
17667 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
17668 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
17671 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
17672 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
17673 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
17676 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
17677 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
17678 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
17681 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
17682 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
17683 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
17685 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
17691 @item nngateway-address
17692 @vindex nngateway-address
17693 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17695 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17696 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17697 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17698 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17699 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17700 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17701 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17704 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17705 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17706 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17709 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17712 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17715 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17718 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17720 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17723 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17724 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17725 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17727 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17729 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17730 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17731 @code{nngateway-address}.
17739 (setq gnus-post-method
17741 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17742 (nngateway-header-transformation
17743 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17746 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17749 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17754 @node Combined Groups
17755 @section Combined Groups
17757 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17761 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17762 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17766 @node Virtual Groups
17767 @subsection Virtual Groups
17769 @cindex virtual groups
17770 @cindex merging groups
17772 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17775 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17776 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17777 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17779 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17780 regexp to match component groups.
17782 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17783 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17784 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17785 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17786 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17787 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17788 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17789 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17791 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17792 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17795 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17798 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17799 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17801 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17802 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17803 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17804 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17807 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17810 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17811 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17812 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17814 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17815 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17816 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17817 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17818 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17820 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17821 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17822 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17824 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17825 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
17826 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
17827 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
17828 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
17829 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
17830 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
17831 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
17832 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
17833 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
17834 it---it'll have much the same effect.
17836 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17837 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17838 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17839 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17840 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17841 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17842 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17844 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17845 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17847 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17848 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17852 @node Kibozed Groups
17853 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17857 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
17858 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
17859 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
17860 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17862 @kindex G k (Group)
17863 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17866 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17867 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17868 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17869 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17871 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17872 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17873 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17875 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17876 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17877 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17878 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17879 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17880 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17881 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17882 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17884 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17885 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17886 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17887 Stranger things have happened.
17889 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17890 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17892 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17893 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17894 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
17895 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
17896 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
17897 information on what groups have been searched through to find
17898 component articles.
17900 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17901 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17904 @node Email Based Diary
17905 @section Email Based Diary
17907 @cindex email based diary
17910 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
17911 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
17912 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
17913 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
17914 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
17915 namely, as event reminders.
17917 Here is a typical scenario:
17921 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
17922 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
17924 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
17926 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
17928 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
17929 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
17930 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
17932 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
17933 of the night you're gonna have.
17935 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
17936 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
17939 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
17940 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
17941 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
17942 explained in the sections below.
17945 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
17946 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
17947 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
17951 @node The NNDiary Back End
17952 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
17954 @cindex the nndiary back end
17956 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
17957 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
17958 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
17959 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
17960 directory per group.
17962 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
17963 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
17964 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
17965 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
17968 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
17969 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
17970 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
17973 @node Diary Messages
17974 @subsubsection Diary Messages
17975 @cindex nndiary messages
17976 @cindex nndiary mails
17978 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
17979 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
17980 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
17981 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
17982 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
17983 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
17984 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
17988 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
17989 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
17990 (separated by a comma).
17992 A field is either an integer, or a range.
17994 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
17996 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
17997 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
17998 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
18000 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
18001 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
18002 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
18004 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
18005 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
18006 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
18007 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
18008 list of available time zone values, see the variable
18009 @code{nndiary-headers}.
18012 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
18013 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
18014 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18019 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18022 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18024 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18027 @node Running NNDiary
18028 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18029 @cindex running nndiary
18030 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18032 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18033 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18034 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18035 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18036 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18037 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18039 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18040 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18041 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18042 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18043 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18044 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18045 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18048 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18053 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18054 line in your @file{gnusrc} file:
18057 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18060 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18061 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18062 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18063 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18064 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18066 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18067 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18076 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18077 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18079 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18080 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18081 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18082 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18085 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18086 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18087 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18090 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18091 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18092 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18094 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18095 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18096 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18097 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18098 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18100 @node Customizing NNDiary
18101 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18102 @cindex customizing nndiary
18103 @cindex nndiary customization
18105 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18106 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18107 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18108 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18110 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18111 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18112 appointements (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18113 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18114 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18118 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18119 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18124 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18125 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18127 @cindex the gnus diary library
18129 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18130 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18131 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18132 useful things for you.
18134 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{gnusrc} file:
18137 (require 'gnus-diary)
18140 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18141 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18142 (sorry if you used them before).
18146 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18147 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18148 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18149 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18152 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18153 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18154 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18155 @cindex diary summary line format
18157 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18158 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18159 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18160 see the event's date.
18162 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18163 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18164 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18165 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18166 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18168 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18169 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18170 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18173 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18176 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18177 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18180 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18183 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18184 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18185 with the following user options:
18187 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18188 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18189 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18190 diary groups'parameters.
18193 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18194 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18195 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18198 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18199 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18200 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18201 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18202 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18205 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18206 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18207 @cindex diary articles sorting
18208 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18209 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18210 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18211 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18213 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18214 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18215 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18216 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18217 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18219 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18220 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18221 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18222 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18225 @node Diary Headers Generation
18226 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18227 @cindex diary headers generation
18228 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18230 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18231 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18232 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18233 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18236 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18237 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18238 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18239 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18240 a usual mail to a diary one.
18242 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18243 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18244 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18247 @node Diary Group Parameters
18248 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18249 @cindex diary group parameters
18251 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18252 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18253 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18254 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18255 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18256 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18257 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18258 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18260 @node Sending or Not Sending
18261 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18263 Well, assuming you've read of of the above, here are two final notes on
18264 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18268 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18269 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18270 appointements to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18271 sending the diary message to them as well.
18273 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18274 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18275 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18276 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18279 @node Gnus Unplugged
18280 @section Gnus Unplugged
18285 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18287 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18288 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18289 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18290 read news. Believe it or not.
18292 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18293 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18294 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18295 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18296 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18298 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18299 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18300 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18301 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18302 reading news on a machine.
18304 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18305 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18306 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18308 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18311 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18312 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18313 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18314 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18315 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18316 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18317 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18318 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18319 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18320 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18321 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18322 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18323 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18324 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18329 @subsection Agent Basics
18331 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18333 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18334 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18335 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18336 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18338 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18339 connected to the net continuously.
18341 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18342 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18344 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18345 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18346 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18347 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18348 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18350 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18351 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18352 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18353 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18354 they're kinda like plugged always).
18356 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18357 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18358 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18361 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18362 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18363 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18364 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18365 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18367 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18372 @findex gnus-unplugged
18373 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18374 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18375 already fetched while in this mode.
18378 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
18379 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
18380 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
18381 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
18382 Source Specifiers}).
18385 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
18386 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
18387 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
18388 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
18389 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
18392 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
18393 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
18394 then you read the news offline.
18397 And then you go to step 2.
18400 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
18406 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
18407 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
18408 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
18409 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
18410 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
18411 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
18412 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
18413 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
18416 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
18417 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
18418 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
18419 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
18421 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
18422 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
18423 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
18424 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
18425 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
18426 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
18430 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
18434 @node Agent Categories
18435 @subsection Agent Categories
18437 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
18438 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
18439 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
18440 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
18441 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
18442 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
18443 you're interested in the articles anyway.
18445 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
18446 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
18447 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
18448 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
18449 buffer for creating and managing categories.
18451 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
18452 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
18453 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
18454 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
18455 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
18458 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
18459 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
18460 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
18461 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
18462 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
18463 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
18467 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
18468 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
18469 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
18473 @node Category Syntax
18474 @subsubsection Category Syntax
18476 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
18477 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
18478 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
18481 @cindex Agent Parameters
18484 The list of groups that are in this category.
18486 @item agent-predicate
18487 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
18488 are eligible for downloading; and
18491 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
18492 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
18493 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
18495 @item agent-enable-expiration
18496 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
18497 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
18498 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
18499 only groups that should not be expired.
18501 @item agent-days-until-old
18502 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
18503 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
18505 @item agent-low-score
18506 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
18508 @item agent-high-score
18509 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
18511 @item agent-short-article
18512 an integer that overrides the value of
18513 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
18515 @item agent-long-article
18516 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
18518 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
18519 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
18520 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
18521 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
18522 undownloaded faces.
18525 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
18528 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
18529 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
18530 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
18533 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
18534 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
18535 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
18536 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
18538 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
18539 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
18540 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
18542 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
18543 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
18544 operators sprinkled in between.
18546 Perhaps some examples are in order.
18548 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
18549 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
18555 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
18556 short (for some value of ``short'').
18558 Here's a more complex predicate:
18567 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
18568 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
18571 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
18572 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
18573 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
18575 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
18576 you want to do, you can write your own.
18578 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
18579 bound to the value determined by calling
18580 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
18581 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
18582 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
18583 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
18584 predicate to individual groups.
18588 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
18589 lines; default 100.
18592 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
18593 lines; default 200.
18596 True iff the article has a download score less than
18597 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
18600 True iff the article has a download score greater than
18601 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
18604 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
18605 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
18606 checksum and sees whether articles match.
18615 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
18616 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
18617 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
18620 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
18621 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
18622 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
18623 something along the lines of the following:
18626 (defun my-article-old-p ()
18627 "Say whether an article is old."
18628 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
18629 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
18632 with the predicate then defined as:
18635 (not my-article-old-p)
18638 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
18639 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
18643 (require 'gnus-agent)
18644 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
18645 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
18646 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
18649 and simply specify your predicate as:
18655 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
18656 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
18657 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
18658 just don't give a damn.
18660 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
18661 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
18662 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
18663 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
18664 parameters like so:
18667 (agent-predicate . short)
18670 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
18671 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
18672 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
18674 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
18677 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
18680 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
18681 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
18682 predicate is assumed to be a list.
18685 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
18686 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
18687 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
18688 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
18689 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
18690 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
18692 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
18693 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
18694 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
18695 if it's to be specific to that group.
18697 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
18704 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
18705 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
18711 Category specification
18715 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18721 Group/Topic Parameter specification
18724 (agent-score ("from"
18725 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
18730 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
18736 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
18737 keywords stated above.
18743 Category specification
18746 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
18752 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
18756 Group Parameter specification
18759 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
18762 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
18767 Use @code{normal} score files
18769 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
18770 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
18771 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
18772 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
18774 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
18775 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
18776 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
18777 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
18781 Category Specification
18788 Group Parameter specification
18791 (agent-score . file)
18796 @node Category Buffer
18797 @subsubsection Category Buffer
18799 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
18800 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
18801 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
18803 The following commands are available in this buffer:
18807 @kindex q (Category)
18808 @findex gnus-category-exit
18809 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
18812 @kindex e (Category)
18813 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
18814 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
18815 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
18818 @kindex k (Category)
18819 @findex gnus-category-kill
18820 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
18823 @kindex c (Category)
18824 @findex gnus-category-copy
18825 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
18828 @kindex a (Category)
18829 @findex gnus-category-add
18830 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
18833 @kindex p (Category)
18834 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
18835 Edit the predicate of the current category
18836 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
18839 @kindex g (Category)
18840 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
18841 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
18842 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
18845 @kindex s (Category)
18846 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
18847 Edit the download score rule of the current category
18848 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
18851 @kindex l (Category)
18852 @findex gnus-category-list
18853 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
18857 @node Category Variables
18858 @subsubsection Category Variables
18861 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
18862 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
18863 Hook run in category buffers.
18865 @item gnus-category-line-format
18866 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
18867 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
18868 Variables}). Valid elements are:
18872 The name of the category.
18875 The number of groups in the category.
18878 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
18879 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
18880 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
18882 @item gnus-agent-short-article
18883 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
18884 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
18886 @item gnus-agent-long-article
18887 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
18888 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
18890 @item gnus-agent-low-score
18891 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
18892 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
18895 @item gnus-agent-high-score
18896 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
18897 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
18900 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
18901 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18902 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
18903 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
18904 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
18905 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
18906 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
18907 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
18911 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18912 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
18913 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
18914 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
18915 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
18916 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
18917 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
18922 @node Agent Commands
18923 @subsection Agent Commands
18924 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
18925 @kindex J j (Agent)
18927 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
18928 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
18929 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
18933 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
18934 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
18935 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
18941 @node Group Agent Commands
18942 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
18946 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
18947 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
18948 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
18949 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
18952 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
18953 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
18954 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
18957 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
18958 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
18959 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
18960 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
18963 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
18964 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
18965 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
18966 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
18969 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
18970 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
18971 Add the current group to an Agent category
18972 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
18973 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18976 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
18977 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
18978 Remove the current group from its category, if any
18979 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
18980 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18983 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
18984 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18985 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
18991 @node Summary Agent Commands
18992 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
18996 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
18997 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
18998 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
19001 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
19002 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
19003 Remove the downloading mark from the article
19004 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
19008 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
19009 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
19010 Toggle whether to download the article
19011 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
19015 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
19016 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
19017 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19020 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19021 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19022 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19023 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19026 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19027 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19028 Download all processable articles in this group.
19029 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19032 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19033 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19034 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19035 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19040 @node Server Agent Commands
19041 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19045 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19046 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19047 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19048 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19051 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19052 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19053 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19054 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19059 @node Agent Visuals
19060 @subsection Agent Visuals
19062 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19063 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19064 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19065 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19066 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19067 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19068 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19069 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19070 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19071 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19073 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19074 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19075 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19076 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19077 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19078 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19079 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19080 articles will be available when unplugged.
19082 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19083 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19084 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19085 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19086 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19087 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19088 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19089 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19091 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19092 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19093 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19094 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19095 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19096 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19097 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19098 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19099 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19101 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19102 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19103 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19104 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19105 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19106 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19107 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19108 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19109 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19110 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19112 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19113 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19114 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19115 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19116 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19117 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19119 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19120 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19121 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19122 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19123 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19124 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19125 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19126 expiring'' articles.
19128 @node Agent as Cache
19129 @subsection Agent as Cache
19131 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19132 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19133 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19134 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19135 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19136 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19137 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19138 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19139 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19141 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19142 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19143 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19144 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19145 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19148 @subsection Agent Expiry
19150 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19151 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19152 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19153 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19154 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19155 @cindex agent expiry
19156 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19159 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19160 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19161 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19162 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19163 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19164 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19165 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19166 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19168 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19169 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19170 synchronized with the group.
19172 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19173 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19175 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19176 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19177 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19178 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19179 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19180 be kept indefinitely.
19182 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19183 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19184 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19185 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19187 @node Agent Regeneration
19188 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19190 @cindex agent regeneration
19191 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19192 @cindex regeneration
19194 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19195 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19196 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19197 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19198 internal inconsistencies.
19200 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19201 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19202 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19203 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19204 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19205 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19207 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19208 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19209 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19210 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19211 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19212 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19214 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19215 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19216 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19217 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19218 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19219 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19222 @node Agent and flags
19223 @subsection Agent and flags
19225 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19226 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19227 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19228 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19229 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19230 to the flags in its own files.
19232 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19233 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19234 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19236 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19237 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19238 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19239 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19240 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19241 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19243 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19244 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19245 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19246 in the group buffer.
19248 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19249 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19250 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19251 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19252 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19253 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19254 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19255 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19257 @node Agent and IMAP
19258 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19260 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19261 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19262 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19263 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19265 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19266 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19271 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19274 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19278 @node Outgoing Messages
19279 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19281 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19282 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19283 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19285 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19286 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19287 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19289 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19290 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19291 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19292 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19295 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19296 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19297 ask you to confirm your action (see
19298 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19300 @node Agent Variables
19301 @subsection Agent Variables
19306 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19307 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19308 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19309 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19311 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19312 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19315 @item gnus-agent-directory
19316 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19317 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19318 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19320 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19321 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19322 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19323 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19324 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19327 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19328 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19329 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19331 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19332 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19333 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19335 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19336 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19337 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19339 @item gnus-agent-cache
19340 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19341 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19342 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19343 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19345 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19346 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19347 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19348 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19349 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19350 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19351 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19354 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19355 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19356 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19357 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19358 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19359 read. The default is @code{t}.
19361 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19362 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19363 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19364 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19365 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19366 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19367 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19369 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19370 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19371 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19372 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19373 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19374 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19375 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
19376 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
19377 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
19378 over and over again.
19380 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19381 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
19382 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
19383 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
19384 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
19385 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
19386 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
19387 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
19388 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
19389 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
19390 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
19391 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
19394 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
19395 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
19396 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
19397 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
19398 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
19399 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
19400 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
19401 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
19402 is only valid if the Agent is used.
19404 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19405 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
19406 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
19407 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
19408 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
19409 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
19411 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
19412 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
19413 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
19414 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
19415 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
19417 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
19418 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
19419 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
19420 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
19421 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
19422 mail. The default is @code{t}.
19424 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19425 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
19426 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
19427 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
19428 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
19430 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19431 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
19432 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
19433 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
19434 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
19435 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
19436 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
19437 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
19438 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
19439 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
19440 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
19445 @node Example Setup
19446 @subsection Example Setup
19448 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
19449 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
19450 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
19453 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
19454 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
19455 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
19457 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
19458 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
19459 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
19461 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
19462 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
19464 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
19465 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
19466 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
19469 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
19470 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
19473 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
19474 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
19475 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
19476 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
19477 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
19480 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
19481 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
19482 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
19483 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
19484 back all the killed groups.)
19486 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
19487 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
19488 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
19491 @node Batching Agents
19492 @subsection Batching Agents
19493 @findex gnus-agent-batch
19495 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
19496 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
19497 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
19499 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
19500 following incantation:
19504 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
19508 @node Agent Caveats
19509 @subsection Agent Caveats
19511 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
19512 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
19516 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
19518 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
19519 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
19520 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
19522 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
19523 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
19525 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
19529 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
19530 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
19531 locally stored articles.
19538 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
19539 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
19540 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
19543 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
19544 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
19545 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
19546 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
19547 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
19549 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
19550 before generating the summary buffer.
19552 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
19553 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
19554 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
19556 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
19557 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
19558 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
19559 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
19562 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
19563 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
19564 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
19565 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
19566 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
19567 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
19568 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
19569 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
19570 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
19571 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
19572 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
19573 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
19574 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
19575 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
19576 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
19577 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
19581 @node Summary Score Commands
19582 @section Summary Score Commands
19583 @cindex score commands
19585 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
19586 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
19587 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
19588 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
19589 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
19591 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
19592 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
19593 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
19594 score file the current one.
19596 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
19601 @kindex V s (Summary)
19602 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
19603 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
19606 @kindex V S (Summary)
19607 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
19608 Display the score of the current article
19609 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
19612 @kindex V t (Summary)
19613 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
19614 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
19615 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
19616 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
19617 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
19618 score file and edit it.
19621 @kindex V w (Summary)
19622 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
19623 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
19626 @kindex V R (Summary)
19627 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
19628 Run the current summary through the scoring process
19629 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
19630 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
19631 effect you're having.
19634 @kindex V c (Summary)
19635 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
19636 Make a different score file the current
19637 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
19640 @kindex V e (Summary)
19641 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
19642 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
19643 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
19647 @kindex V f (Summary)
19648 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
19649 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
19650 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
19653 @kindex V F (Summary)
19654 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19655 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
19656 after editing score files.
19659 @kindex V C (Summary)
19660 @findex gnus-score-customize
19661 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
19662 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
19666 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
19671 @kindex V m (Summary)
19672 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
19673 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
19674 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
19677 @kindex V x (Summary)
19678 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
19679 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
19680 expunge all articles below this score
19681 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
19684 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
19685 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
19688 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
19689 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
19693 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
19694 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
19696 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
19697 keys are available:
19701 Score on the author name.
19704 Score on the subject line.
19707 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
19710 Score on the @code{References} line.
19716 Score on the number of lines.
19719 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
19722 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
19723 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
19726 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
19727 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
19728 @file{ADAPT} files.)
19737 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
19743 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
19744 what headers you are scoring on.
19756 Substring matching.
19759 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
19788 Greater than number.
19793 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
19794 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
19795 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
19800 Temporary score entry.
19803 Permanent score entry.
19806 Immediately scoring.
19810 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
19811 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
19812 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
19816 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
19817 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
19818 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
19819 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
19821 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
19822 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
19823 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
19824 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
19825 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
19827 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
19828 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
19829 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
19830 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
19831 current score file.
19833 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
19834 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
19835 pretend they are keymaps or not.
19838 @node Group Score Commands
19839 @section Group Score Commands
19840 @cindex group score commands
19842 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
19847 @kindex W e (Group)
19848 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
19849 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
19850 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
19853 @kindex W f (Group)
19854 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
19855 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
19856 all the time. This command will flush the cache
19857 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
19861 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
19863 @findex gnus-batch-score
19864 @cindex batch scoring
19866 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
19870 @node Score Variables
19871 @section Score Variables
19872 @cindex score variables
19876 @item gnus-use-scoring
19877 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
19878 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
19879 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
19881 @item gnus-kill-killed
19882 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
19883 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
19884 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
19885 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
19886 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
19887 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
19888 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
19890 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
19891 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
19892 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
19893 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
19894 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
19896 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
19897 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
19898 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
19899 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
19901 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19902 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
19903 @cindex score cache
19904 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
19905 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
19906 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
19907 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
19908 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
19909 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
19910 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
19913 @item gnus-save-score
19914 @vindex gnus-save-score
19915 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
19916 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
19917 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19919 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
19920 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
19921 across group visits.
19923 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19924 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
19925 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
19926 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
19927 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
19928 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
19929 manually entered data.
19931 @item gnus-summary-default-score
19932 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
19933 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
19935 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
19936 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
19937 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
19938 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
19939 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
19940 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
19942 @item gnus-score-over-mark
19943 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
19944 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
19945 default. Default is @samp{+}.
19947 @item gnus-score-below-mark
19948 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
19949 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
19950 default. Default is @samp{-}.
19952 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19953 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
19954 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
19955 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
19957 Predefined functions available are:
19960 @item gnus-score-find-single
19961 @findex gnus-score-find-single
19962 Only apply the group's own score file.
19964 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
19965 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
19966 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
19967 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
19968 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
19969 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
19970 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
19971 then a regexp match is done.
19973 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
19974 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
19976 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
19977 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
19978 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
19979 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
19981 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19982 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
19983 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
19984 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
19985 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
19989 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
19990 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
19991 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
19992 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
19993 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
19994 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
19995 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
19998 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
19999 overall score file, you could use the value
20001 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
20002 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
20005 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
20006 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
20007 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
20008 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
20009 are expired. It's 7 by default.
20011 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20012 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20013 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
20014 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
20015 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
20016 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
20017 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
20018 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20020 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20021 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20022 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20024 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20025 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20026 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20027 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20028 threading---according to the current value of
20029 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20030 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20031 simplified in this manner.
20036 @node Score File Format
20037 @section Score File Format
20038 @cindex score file format
20040 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20041 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20042 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20044 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20048 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20050 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20052 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20054 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20059 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20063 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20064 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20065 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20066 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20070 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20071 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20073 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20074 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20075 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20077 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20082 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20083 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20084 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20085 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20086 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20087 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20088 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20089 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20090 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20091 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20092 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20093 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20094 to articles that matches these score entries.
20096 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20097 score entry has one to four elements.
20101 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20102 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20106 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20107 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20108 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20109 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20110 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20111 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20114 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20115 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20116 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20117 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20118 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20121 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20122 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20123 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20124 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20127 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20128 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20129 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20130 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20131 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20132 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20133 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20134 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20135 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20136 instead, if you feel like.
20139 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20140 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20141 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20142 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20143 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20144 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20148 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20149 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20153 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20154 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20156 These predicates are true if
20159 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20162 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20163 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20170 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20171 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20172 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20173 it's not. I think.)
20175 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20176 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20177 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20178 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20181 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20182 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20183 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20184 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20185 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20186 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20187 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20191 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20192 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20193 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20194 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20195 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20196 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20197 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20198 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20201 @item Head, Body, All
20202 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20206 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20207 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20208 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20209 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20210 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20211 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20212 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20216 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20217 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20218 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20219 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20220 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20221 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20222 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20223 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20224 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20225 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20226 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20230 @cindex score file atoms
20232 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20233 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20236 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20237 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20239 @item mark-and-expunge
20240 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20241 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20244 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20245 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20246 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20247 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20248 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20251 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20252 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20255 @item exclude-files
20256 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20257 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20261 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20262 ignored when handling global score files.
20265 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20266 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20267 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20268 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20271 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20272 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20273 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20274 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20276 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20280 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20283 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20284 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20285 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20286 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20287 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20289 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20290 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20291 scoring rules exist.
20294 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20295 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20296 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20297 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20298 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20299 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20300 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20301 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20302 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20303 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20304 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20308 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20309 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20310 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20311 file for a number of groups.
20314 @cindex local variables
20315 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20316 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20317 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20318 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20319 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20324 @node Score File Editing
20325 @section Score File Editing
20327 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20328 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20329 with a mode for that.
20331 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20332 additional commands:
20337 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20338 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20339 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20340 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20343 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20344 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20345 Insert the current date in numerical format
20346 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20347 you were wondering.
20350 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20351 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20352 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20353 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20354 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20359 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20361 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20362 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20364 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20365 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20368 @node Adaptive Scoring
20369 @section Adaptive Scoring
20370 @cindex adaptive scoring
20372 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20373 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20374 stupidity, to be precise.
20376 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
20377 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
20378 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
20379 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
20380 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20381 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
20382 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
20383 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
20384 variable to @code{(word line)}.
20386 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20387 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
20388 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
20389 might look something like this:
20392 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
20393 '((gnus-unread-mark)
20394 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
20395 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
20396 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
20397 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
20398 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
20399 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
20400 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
20401 (gnus-ancient-mark)
20402 (gnus-low-score-mark)
20403 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
20406 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
20407 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
20408 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
20409 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
20410 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
20411 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
20414 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
20415 will be applied to each article.
20417 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
20418 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
20419 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
20420 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
20422 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
20423 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
20424 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
20425 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
20427 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
20428 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
20429 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
20430 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
20432 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
20433 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
20434 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
20435 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
20436 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
20437 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
20439 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
20440 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
20441 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
20443 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
20444 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
20445 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
20447 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
20448 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
20449 let you use different rules in different groups.
20451 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
20452 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
20453 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
20456 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
20457 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
20458 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
20459 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
20461 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
20462 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
20463 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
20464 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
20465 the length of the match is less than
20466 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
20467 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
20470 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20471 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
20472 headers. If you adapt on words, the
20473 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
20474 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
20477 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
20478 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
20479 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
20480 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
20481 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
20484 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
20485 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
20486 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
20487 score with 30 points.
20489 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
20490 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
20491 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
20492 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
20493 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
20495 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
20496 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
20497 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
20498 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
20499 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
20501 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
20502 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
20503 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
20504 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
20506 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
20507 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
20508 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
20509 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
20511 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
20512 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
20513 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
20514 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
20515 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
20517 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
20518 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
20519 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
20521 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
20522 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
20523 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
20524 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
20527 @node Home Score File
20528 @section Home Score File
20530 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
20531 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
20532 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
20533 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
20535 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
20536 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
20537 could perhaps use the same home score file.
20539 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
20540 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
20545 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
20549 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
20550 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
20554 A list. The elements in this list can be:
20558 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
20559 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
20562 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
20563 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
20564 name of the group as the parameter.
20567 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
20570 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
20575 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
20578 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20579 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
20582 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
20583 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
20585 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
20587 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20588 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
20591 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
20592 Other functions include
20595 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
20596 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
20597 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
20598 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
20602 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
20603 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
20604 their own home score files:
20607 (setq gnus-home-score-file
20608 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
20609 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
20610 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
20611 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
20614 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
20615 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
20616 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
20617 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
20618 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
20620 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
20621 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
20622 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
20623 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
20624 precedence over this variable.
20627 @node Followups To Yourself
20628 @section Followups To Yourself
20630 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
20631 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
20632 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
20633 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
20634 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
20635 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
20639 @item gnus-score-followup-article
20640 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
20641 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
20644 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
20645 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
20646 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
20650 @vindex message-sent-hook
20651 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
20652 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
20654 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
20658 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
20659 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
20663 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20664 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
20667 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
20668 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
20673 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
20677 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
20678 is system-dependent.
20681 @node Scoring On Other Headers
20682 @section Scoring On Other Headers
20683 @cindex scoring on other headers
20685 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
20686 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
20687 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
20688 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
20689 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
20691 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
20692 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
20693 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
20694 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
20695 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
20697 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
20700 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
20701 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
20704 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
20705 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
20706 time if you have much mail.
20708 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
20709 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
20715 @section Scoring Tips
20716 @cindex scoring tips
20722 @cindex scoring crossposts
20723 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
20724 the @code{Xref} header.
20726 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
20729 @item Multiple crossposts
20730 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
20731 more than, say, 3 groups:
20734 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
20738 @item Matching on the body
20739 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
20740 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
20741 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
20742 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
20743 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
20744 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
20745 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
20748 @item Marking as read
20749 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
20750 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
20751 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
20755 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
20757 @item Negated character classes
20758 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
20759 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
20760 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
20764 @node Reverse Scoring
20765 @section Reverse Scoring
20766 @cindex reverse scoring
20768 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
20769 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
20770 like this in your score file:
20774 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
20779 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
20780 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
20783 @node Global Score Files
20784 @section Global Score Files
20785 @cindex global score files
20787 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
20788 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
20789 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
20791 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
20792 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
20793 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
20795 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
20796 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
20797 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
20798 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
20799 files are applicable to which group.
20801 To use the score file
20802 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
20803 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
20807 (setq gnus-global-score-files
20808 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
20809 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
20812 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
20814 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
20815 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
20816 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
20817 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
20819 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
20820 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
20822 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
20823 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
20824 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
20825 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
20826 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
20827 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
20829 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
20835 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
20837 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
20839 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
20841 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
20842 lowered out of existence.
20844 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
20845 articles completely.
20848 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
20849 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
20850 old articles for a long time.
20853 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
20854 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
20855 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
20856 holding our breath yet?
20860 @section Kill Files
20863 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
20864 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
20865 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
20867 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
20868 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
20869 files into score files.
20871 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
20872 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
20873 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
20874 that isn't a very good idea.
20876 Normal kill files look like this:
20879 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20880 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
20884 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
20885 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
20887 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
20888 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
20891 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
20896 @kindex M-k (Summary)
20897 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
20898 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
20901 @kindex M-K (Summary)
20902 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
20903 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
20906 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
20911 @kindex M-k (Group)
20912 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
20913 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
20916 @kindex M-K (Group)
20917 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
20918 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
20921 Kill file variables:
20924 @item gnus-kill-file-name
20925 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
20926 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
20927 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
20928 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
20929 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
20930 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
20932 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20933 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
20934 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
20935 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
20938 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
20939 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
20940 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
20941 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
20942 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
20943 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
20944 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
20945 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
20946 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
20948 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20949 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
20950 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
20955 @node Converting Kill Files
20956 @section Converting Kill Files
20958 @cindex converting kill files
20960 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
20961 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
20962 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
20965 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
20966 You can fetch it from
20967 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
20969 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
20970 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
20971 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
20975 @node Advanced Scoring
20976 @section Advanced Scoring
20978 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
20979 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
20980 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
20981 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
20982 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
20984 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
20988 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
20989 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
20990 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
20994 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
20995 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
20997 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
20998 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
20999 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
21000 non-@code{nil} value.
21002 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
21003 operator, and various match operators.
21010 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21011 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
21012 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
21017 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21018 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21019 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21024 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21025 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21029 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21030 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21031 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21032 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21033 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21034 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21035 the ancestry you want to go.
21037 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21038 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21039 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21040 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21041 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21044 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21045 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21047 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21048 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21051 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21052 when he's talking about Gnus:
21057 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21058 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21065 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21069 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21076 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21077 really don't want to read what he's written:
21081 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21082 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
21086 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21087 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21088 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21095 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21096 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21097 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21098 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21102 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21103 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21104 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21105 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21108 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21110 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21114 The possibilities are endless.
21116 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21117 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21119 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21120 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21121 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21122 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21123 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21124 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21125 @samp{subject}) first.
21127 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21128 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21139 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21140 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21146 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21153 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21154 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21159 @section Score Decays
21160 @cindex score decays
21163 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21164 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21165 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21166 use them in any sensible way.
21168 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21169 @findex gnus-decay-score
21170 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21171 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21172 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21173 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21174 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21175 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21176 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21177 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21178 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21179 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21183 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21184 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21185 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21187 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21189 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21191 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21192 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21193 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21194 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21195 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21197 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21201 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21202 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21203 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21204 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21208 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21211 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21214 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21218 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21219 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21220 the new score, which should be an integer.
21222 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21223 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21228 @include message.texi
21229 @chapter Emacs MIME
21230 @include emacs-mime.texi
21232 @include sieve.texi
21244 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21245 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21246 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21247 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21248 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21249 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21250 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21251 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21252 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21253 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21254 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21255 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21256 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21257 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21258 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21259 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21260 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21261 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21262 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
21263 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21264 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21268 @node Process/Prefix
21269 @section Process/Prefix
21270 @cindex process/prefix convention
21272 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21273 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21275 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21276 command to be performed on.
21280 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21281 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21282 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21283 with the current one.
21285 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21286 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21287 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21289 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21290 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21293 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21294 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21296 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21299 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21300 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21301 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21302 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21304 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21305 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21306 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21307 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21308 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21309 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21310 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21311 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21313 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21314 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21315 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21316 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21317 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21321 @section Interactive
21322 @cindex interaction
21326 @item gnus-novice-user
21327 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21328 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21329 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21330 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21331 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21334 @item gnus-expert-user
21335 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21336 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21337 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21338 matter how strange.
21340 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21341 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21342 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21343 is @code{t} by default.
21345 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21346 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21347 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21352 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21353 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21354 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21356 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21357 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21358 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21359 rule of 900 to the current article.
21361 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21362 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21363 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21364 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21365 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21366 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21367 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
21369 @kindex M-i (Summary)
21370 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
21371 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
21372 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
21373 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
21374 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
21375 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
21376 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
21377 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
21379 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
21380 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
21381 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
21383 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
21387 @node Formatting Variables
21388 @section Formatting Variables
21389 @cindex formatting variables
21391 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
21392 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
21393 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
21394 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
21395 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
21398 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
21399 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
21400 lots of percentages everywhere.
21403 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
21404 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
21405 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
21406 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
21407 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
21408 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
21409 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
21410 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
21413 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
21414 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
21415 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
21416 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
21417 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
21418 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
21419 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
21420 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
21422 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
21423 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
21425 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
21426 @findex gnus-update-format
21427 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
21428 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
21429 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
21430 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
21434 @node Formatting Basics
21435 @subsection Formatting Basics
21437 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
21438 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
21439 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
21441 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
21442 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
21443 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
21444 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
21445 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
21448 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
21449 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
21450 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
21451 less than 4 characters wide.
21453 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
21454 @samp{%&user-date;}.
21457 @node Mode Line Formatting
21458 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
21460 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
21461 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
21462 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
21463 with the following two differences:
21468 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
21471 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
21472 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
21473 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
21474 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
21475 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
21476 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
21477 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
21482 @node Advanced Formatting
21483 @subsection Advanced Formatting
21485 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
21486 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
21487 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
21488 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
21490 These are the valid modifiers:
21495 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
21499 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
21504 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
21507 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
21512 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
21515 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
21518 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
21521 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
21527 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
21532 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
21533 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
21534 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
21535 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
21536 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
21537 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
21538 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
21540 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
21541 last operation, padding.
21543 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
21544 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
21545 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
21546 @xref{Compilation}.
21549 @node User-Defined Specs
21550 @subsection User-Defined Specs
21552 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
21553 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
21554 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
21555 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
21556 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
21557 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
21558 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
21559 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
21560 should protect against that.
21562 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
21563 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
21565 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
21566 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
21567 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
21568 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
21572 @node Formatting Fonts
21573 @subsection Formatting Fonts
21575 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
21576 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
21577 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
21578 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
21581 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
21582 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
21583 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
21584 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
21585 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
21586 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
21588 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
21589 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
21590 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
21591 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
21592 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
21593 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
21594 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
21595 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
21596 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
21597 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
21598 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
21601 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
21604 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
21605 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
21606 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
21608 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
21609 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
21610 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
21611 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
21612 ;; @r{Set the color.}
21613 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
21614 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
21616 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
21617 (setq gnus-group-line-format
21618 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
21621 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
21622 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
21624 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
21625 mode-line variables.
21627 @node Positioning Point
21628 @subsection Positioning Point
21630 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
21631 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
21632 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
21634 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
21636 @findex gnus-goto-colon
21637 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
21638 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
21640 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
21641 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
21642 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
21647 @subsection Tabulation
21649 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
21650 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
21651 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
21652 about lining up the following text afterwards.
21654 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
21655 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
21657 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21658 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
21659 This is the soft tabulator.
21661 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
21662 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
21663 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
21666 @node Wide Characters
21667 @subsection Wide Characters
21669 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
21670 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
21671 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
21673 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
21674 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
21675 these countries, that's not true.
21677 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
21678 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
21679 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
21680 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
21684 @node Window Layout
21685 @section Window Layout
21686 @cindex window layout
21688 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
21690 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
21691 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
21692 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
21693 @code{t} by default.
21695 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
21696 glitches. Use at your own peril.
21698 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
21699 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
21700 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
21703 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
21704 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
21705 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21709 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
21710 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
21711 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
21712 possible names is listed below.
21714 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
21715 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
21718 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
21722 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
21723 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
21724 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
21725 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
21726 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
21727 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
21728 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
21729 size spec per split.
21731 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
21732 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
21733 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
21734 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
21735 present) gets focus.
21737 Here's a more complicated example:
21740 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
21741 (summary 0.25 point)
21742 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
21746 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
21747 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
21748 occupy, not a percentage.
21750 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
21751 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
21752 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
21753 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
21754 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
21757 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
21760 (article (horizontal 1.0
21765 (summary 0.25 point)
21770 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
21771 @code{horizontal} thingie?
21773 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
21774 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
21775 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
21776 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
21777 the screen is to be given to this strip.
21779 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
21780 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
21781 lines from the splits.
21783 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
21788 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
21789 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
21790 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
21791 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
21792 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
21793 size = number | frame-params
21794 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
21798 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
21799 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
21800 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
21801 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
21803 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
21804 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
21805 @cindex window height
21806 @cindex window width
21807 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
21808 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
21809 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
21810 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
21811 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
21812 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
21814 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
21815 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
21816 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
21817 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
21819 @findex gnus-configure-frame
21820 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
21821 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
21822 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
21823 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
21824 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
21825 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
21826 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
21827 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
21828 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
21829 configuration list.
21832 (gnus-configure-frame
21836 (article 0.3 point))
21844 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
21845 @code{frame} split:
21848 (gnus-configure-frame
21851 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
21853 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
21854 (user-position . t)
21855 (left . -1) (top . 1))
21860 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
21861 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
21862 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
21863 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
21864 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
21865 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
21866 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
21867 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
21869 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
21870 be found in its default value.
21872 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
21873 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
21874 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
21878 (message (horizontal 1.0
21879 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
21881 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
21886 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
21887 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
21888 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
21893 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
21894 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
21895 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
21896 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
21897 (name . "Message"))
21898 (message 1.0 point))))
21901 @findex gnus-add-configuration
21902 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
21903 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
21904 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
21905 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
21908 (gnus-add-configuration
21909 '(article (vertical 1.0
21911 (summary .25 point)
21915 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
21916 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
21917 Gnus has been loaded.
21919 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
21920 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
21921 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
21922 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
21923 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
21925 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
21926 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
21927 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
21930 @subsection Example Window Configurations
21934 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
21935 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
21950 (gnus-add-configuration
21953 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21955 (summary 0.16 point)
21958 (gnus-add-configuration
21961 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
21962 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
21968 @node Faces and Fonts
21969 @section Faces and Fonts
21974 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
21975 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
21976 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
21981 @section Compilation
21982 @cindex compilation
21983 @cindex byte-compilation
21985 @findex gnus-compile
21987 Remember all those line format specification variables?
21988 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
21989 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
21990 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
21991 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
21992 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
21995 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
21996 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
21997 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
21998 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
21999 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
22000 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
22001 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
22005 @section Mode Lines
22008 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22009 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22010 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22011 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22012 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22013 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22014 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22017 @cindex display-time
22019 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22020 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22021 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22022 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22023 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22024 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22025 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22026 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22029 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22031 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22032 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22034 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22035 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22036 (length display-time-string)))))
22039 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22040 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22041 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22042 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22043 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22046 @node Highlighting and Menus
22047 @section Highlighting and Menus
22049 @cindex highlighting
22052 @vindex gnus-visual
22053 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22054 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22055 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22058 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22059 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22062 @item group-highlight
22063 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22064 @item summary-highlight
22065 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22066 @item article-highlight
22067 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22069 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22071 Create menus in the group buffer.
22073 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22075 Create menus in the article buffer.
22077 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22079 Create menus in the server buffer.
22081 Create menus in the score buffers.
22083 Create menus in all buffers.
22086 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22087 buffers, you could say something like:
22090 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22093 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22096 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22099 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22100 in all Gnus buffers.
22102 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22105 @item gnus-mouse-face
22106 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22107 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22108 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22112 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22116 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22117 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22118 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22120 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22121 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22122 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22124 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22125 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22126 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22128 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22129 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22130 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22132 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22133 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22134 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22136 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22137 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22138 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22149 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22150 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22151 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22152 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22153 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22157 @vindex gnus-carpal
22158 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22159 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22160 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22165 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22166 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22167 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22169 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22170 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22171 Face used on buttons.
22173 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22174 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22175 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22177 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22178 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22179 Buttons in the group buffer.
22181 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22182 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22183 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22185 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22186 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22187 Buttons in the server buffer.
22189 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22190 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22191 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22194 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22195 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22196 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22204 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22205 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22206 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22207 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22208 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22210 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22211 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22212 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22214 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22215 been idle for thirty minutes:
22218 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22221 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22225 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22228 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22229 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22230 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22232 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22233 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22234 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22235 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22237 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22238 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22239 @var{idle} minutes.
22241 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22242 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22245 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22246 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22247 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22249 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22250 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22251 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22252 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22254 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22255 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22257 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22259 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22262 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22263 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22264 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22265 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22266 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22267 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22268 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22269 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22270 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22271 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22272 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22274 @findex gnus-demon-init
22275 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22276 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22277 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22278 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22279 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22281 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22282 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22283 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22292 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22293 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22295 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22296 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22297 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22298 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22301 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22302 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22303 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22304 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22306 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22307 this will make spam disappear.
22309 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22312 @item gnus-use-nocem
22313 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22314 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22317 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
22318 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
22319 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
22320 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
22321 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
22322 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
22323 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
22324 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
22326 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22327 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22328 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22331 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22332 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22335 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22336 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22337 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22338 people you want to listen to. The default is
22340 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22341 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22343 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22345 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22346 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22348 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22349 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22350 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22351 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22352 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22353 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22354 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22355 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22356 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22357 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22359 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22360 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22363 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22366 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22367 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
22370 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
22373 The specs are applied left-to-right.
22376 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
22377 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
22379 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
22380 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
22381 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
22382 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
22383 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
22384 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
22386 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
22387 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
22388 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
22389 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
22391 @item gnus-nocem-directory
22392 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
22393 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
22394 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
22396 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22397 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
22398 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
22399 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
22400 might then see old spam.
22402 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
22403 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
22404 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
22405 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
22406 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
22409 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22410 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
22411 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
22412 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
22416 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
22417 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
22418 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
22419 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
22426 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
22427 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
22428 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
22430 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
22431 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
22432 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
22433 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
22434 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
22435 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
22436 @code{undo} function.
22438 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
22439 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
22440 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
22441 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
22442 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
22443 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
22444 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
22445 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
22446 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
22447 never be totally undoable.
22449 @findex gnus-undo-mode
22450 @vindex gnus-use-undo
22452 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
22453 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
22454 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
22455 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
22459 @node Predicate Specifiers
22460 @section Predicate Specifiers
22461 @cindex predicate specifiers
22463 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
22464 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
22465 to type all that much.
22467 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
22472 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
22473 gnus-article-unread-p)
22476 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
22477 functions all take one parameter.
22479 @findex gnus-make-predicate
22480 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
22481 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
22482 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
22487 @section Moderation
22490 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
22491 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
22492 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
22495 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
22499 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
22502 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22504 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
22509 You split your incoming mail by matching on
22510 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
22511 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
22514 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
22515 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
22518 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
22519 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
22523 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
22526 (setq gnus-moderated-list
22527 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
22531 @node Fetching a Group
22532 @section Fetching a Group
22533 @cindex fetching a group
22535 @findex gnus-fetch-group
22536 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
22537 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
22538 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
22539 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
22540 It takes the group name as a parameter.
22543 @node Image Enhancements
22544 @section Image Enhancements
22546 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
22547 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
22548 taken advantage of that.
22551 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
22552 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
22553 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
22554 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
22555 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
22563 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
22564 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
22565 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
22569 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
22570 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
22571 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
22579 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
22580 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
22581 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
22582 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
22583 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
22584 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
22585 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends. For XEmacs it's faster if
22586 XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The default action
22587 under Emacs without image support is to fork off the @code{display}
22590 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is from the
22591 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
22592 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
22594 The variable that controls this is the
22595 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
22596 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
22597 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
22598 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
22599 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
22601 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
22609 @vindex gnus-x-face
22610 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
22611 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
22612 default colors are black and white.
22614 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
22615 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
22616 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
22617 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
22618 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
22619 XEmacs. Here are examples:
22622 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
22623 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22624 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
22625 (png . (:ascent 80))))
22627 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
22628 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
22629 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
22630 (png . (:relief -2))))
22633 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
22634 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
22635 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
22636 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
22637 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
22638 @samp{libcompface} library.
22641 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
22642 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
22643 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
22644 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
22645 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
22646 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
22648 @findex gnus-random-x-face
22649 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
22650 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
22651 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
22652 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
22653 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
22654 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
22655 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
22656 header data as a string.
22658 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
22659 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
22660 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
22661 randomly generated data.
22663 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
22664 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
22665 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
22666 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
22667 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
22669 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
22670 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22673 (setq message-required-news-headers
22674 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22675 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
22678 Using the last function would be something like this:
22681 (setq message-required-news-headers
22682 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22683 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
22684 (gnus-x-face-from-file
22685 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
22693 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
22695 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
22696 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
22697 represent the author of the message.
22700 @findex gnus-article-display-face
22701 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
22702 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
22705 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
22706 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
22708 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
22711 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
22713 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
22715 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
22716 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
22718 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
22719 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
22720 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
22722 @findex gnus-face-from-file
22723 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
22724 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
22725 converts the file to Face format by using the
22726 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
22728 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
22729 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22732 (setq message-required-news-headers
22733 (nconc message-required-news-headers
22734 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
22735 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
22740 @subsection Smileys
22745 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
22750 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
22751 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
22753 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
22754 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22757 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
22760 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
22761 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
22762 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
22763 text and maps that to file names.
22765 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
22766 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
22767 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
22768 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
22769 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
22772 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
22777 @item smiley-data-directory
22778 @vindex smiley-data-directory
22779 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
22781 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
22782 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
22783 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
22797 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
22798 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
22799 over your shoulder as you read news.
22801 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
22810 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
22811 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
22812 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
22813 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
22814 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
22815 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
22816 @code{GIF} formats.
22819 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22820 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
22821 point your Web browser at
22822 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
22824 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
22825 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
22827 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
22828 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
22831 @vindex gnus-picon-style
22832 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
22833 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
22834 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
22836 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
22840 @item gnus-picon-databases
22841 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
22842 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
22843 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
22844 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
22845 "/usr/local/faces")}.
22847 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
22848 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
22849 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22850 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
22852 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
22853 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
22854 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
22855 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
22857 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
22858 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
22859 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
22860 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
22861 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
22863 @item gnus-picon-file-types
22864 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
22865 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
22866 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
22872 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
22875 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22876 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
22877 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
22878 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
22879 unusual directory structure.
22881 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22882 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
22883 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
22888 @subsubsection Toolbar
22892 @item gnus-use-toolbar
22893 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
22894 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
22895 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
22896 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
22897 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
22898 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
22899 names show. The default is @code{default}.
22901 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
22902 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
22903 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
22904 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
22905 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
22906 The default is that of the default toolbar.
22908 @item gnus-group-toolbar
22909 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
22910 The toolbar in the group buffer.
22912 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
22913 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
22914 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
22916 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22917 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
22918 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
22929 @node Fuzzy Matching
22930 @section Fuzzy Matching
22931 @cindex fuzzy matching
22933 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
22934 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
22936 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
22937 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
22938 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
22940 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
22941 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
22942 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
22943 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
22944 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
22947 @node Thwarting Email Spam
22948 @section Thwarting Email Spam
22952 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22954 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
22955 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
22956 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
22957 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
22958 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
22959 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
22960 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
22961 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
22964 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
22965 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
22966 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
22967 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
22968 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
22969 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
22971 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
22974 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
22975 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
22976 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
22977 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
22978 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
22979 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
22982 @node The problem of spam
22983 @subsection The problem of spam
22985 @cindex spam filtering approaches
22986 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
22988 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
22990 First, some background on spam.
22992 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
22993 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
22994 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
22995 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
22996 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
22997 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
22998 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
22999 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23000 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23002 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23003 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23004 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23005 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23006 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23007 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23008 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23009 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23010 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23013 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23014 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23015 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23016 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23017 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23018 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23019 from Bulgarian IPs.
23021 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23022 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23023 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23024 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23026 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23027 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23028 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23029 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23031 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23032 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23033 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23034 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23035 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23036 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23037 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23038 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23039 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23041 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23042 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23043 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23044 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23045 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23046 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23047 down for some time because of the incident.
23049 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23050 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23051 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23052 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23053 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23054 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23055 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23056 to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
23057 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23058 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23059 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23061 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23062 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23063 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23064 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23065 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23066 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23067 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23070 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23071 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23075 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23077 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23078 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23080 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23081 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23082 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23083 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23084 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23085 part of the mail address.)
23088 (setq message-default-news-headers
23089 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23092 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23093 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23097 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23098 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23099 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23104 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23105 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23106 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23107 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23109 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23110 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23111 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23112 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23113 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23114 your fancy split rule in this way:
23119 (to "larsi" "misc")
23123 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23124 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23125 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23126 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23127 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23129 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23130 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23131 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23132 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23134 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23138 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23139 @cindex SpamAssassin
23140 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23143 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23144 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23145 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23146 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23147 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23148 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23149 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23151 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23152 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23153 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23156 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23157 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23158 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23159 Specifiers}) follow.
23163 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23167 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23170 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23171 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23172 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23175 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23179 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23182 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23183 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23187 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23188 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23189 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23190 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23193 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23195 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23199 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23200 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23204 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23205 downloaded by default. You need to set
23206 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23207 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23209 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23210 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23211 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23214 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23215 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23217 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23218 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23219 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23223 @subsection Hashcash
23226 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23227 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23228 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23229 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23230 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23232 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23233 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23234 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23235 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23236 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23237 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23238 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23239 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23240 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23241 one of them separately.
23244 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23245 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23246 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23247 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23248 need to install to use this feature, see
23249 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23250 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23252 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23253 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23254 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23257 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23260 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23264 @item hashcash-default-payment
23265 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23266 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23267 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23270 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23271 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23272 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23273 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23274 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23275 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23276 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23277 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23278 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23280 @item hashcash-path
23281 @vindex hashcash-path
23282 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23283 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23284 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23285 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23286 when you generate hashcash payments.
23290 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23291 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23292 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23293 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23294 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23295 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23296 Hashcash Payments}).
23298 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23299 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
23300 @cindex spam filtering
23303 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
23304 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
23305 filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
23306 @dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
23309 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23310 events. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events}.
23312 @cindex spam-initialize
23313 To use @code{spam.el}, you @strong{must} run the function
23314 @code{spam-initialize} to autoload @file{spam.el} and to install the
23315 @code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
23316 @code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
23317 should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
23320 (setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
23324 So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
23326 First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
23327 are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
23328 there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
23329 leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
23330 ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
23332 You get the following keyboard commands:
23342 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
23343 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
23345 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
23346 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
23347 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
23348 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
23354 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
23355 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
23357 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
23363 Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
23364 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
23368 * Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
23369 * Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
23370 * Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
23371 * Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer::
23372 * Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
23373 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
23374 * BBDB Whitelists::
23375 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
23376 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
23378 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
23380 * SpamAssassin back end::
23381 * ifile spam filtering::
23382 * spam-stat spam filtering::
23384 * Extending the Spam ELisp package::
23387 @node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23388 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
23389 @cindex spam filtering
23390 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23392 You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
23393 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23395 There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
23396 @code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
23399 Getting new mail in Gnus is done in one of two ways. You can either
23400 split your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or
23401 spam when you enter the group.
23403 Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail back ends such as
23404 @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
23405 called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
23408 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
23409 @vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
23410 For back ends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
23411 an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
23412 back ends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
23413 Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
23414 @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
23415 @kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
23416 @code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
23417 (accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
23419 When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
23420 group/topic or wholesale by regular expression matches, as needed), it
23421 hooks into the process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group
23422 with unseen or unread articles becomes the substitute for checking
23423 incoming mail. Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles
23424 will be processed is determined by the
23425 @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set to @code{t}, unread
23426 messages will be rechecked. You should probably stick with the
23427 default of only checking unseen messages.
23429 @code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
23430 of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
23431 spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
23432 @code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
23433 @samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
23434 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
23435 be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
23436 exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
23437 the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
23439 When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
23440 autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
23441 entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
23442 matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
23443 is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
23444 (@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
23445 additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
23446 articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
23447 variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
23448 gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
23450 Thus, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied,
23451 if any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
23452 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
23453 depending on the article's classification. If the
23454 @code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
23455 whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
23458 If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
23459 groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
23460 processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
23461 Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
23462 spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
23463 ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
23464 You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23465 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
23466 no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
23467 which is what most people want. If the
23468 @code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
23469 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
23471 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23472 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23474 If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
23475 @code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
23476 @code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
23477 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
23478 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
23479 altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
23480 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
23481 @code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
23482 no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
23483 necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
23484 @xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
23486 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23487 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23489 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
23490 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
23491 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
23493 @node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23494 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
23495 @cindex spam filtering
23496 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
23499 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
23500 must add the following to your fancy split list
23501 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
23507 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
23508 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
23509 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
23511 Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
23513 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
23514 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
23515 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
23516 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
23517 of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
23518 instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
23519 @samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
23520 value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
23521 actually give you the group
23522 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
23523 work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
23525 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
23526 e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
23529 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
23530 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
23533 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23534 (any "ding" "ding")
23536 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23540 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
23541 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
23542 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
23543 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
23544 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
23545 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
23547 You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
23548 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
23549 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
23554 ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
23555 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23556 (any "ding" "ding")
23557 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
23559 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23563 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
23564 your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
23565 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
23566 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
23567 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
23568 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
23569 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
23571 You should still have specific checks such as
23572 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
23573 specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
23574 that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
23575 depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
23576 is usually not critical, though.
23578 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
23580 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
23581 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
23582 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
23583 message headers. If you use a @emph{statistical} filter,
23584 e.g. @code{spam-check-bogofilter}, @code{spam-check-ifile}, or
23585 @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that can benefit from the full
23586 message body), this variable will be set automatically. It is not set
23587 for non-statistical back ends by default because it will slow
23588 @acronym{IMAP} down.
23590 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
23592 @node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23593 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
23594 @cindex spam filtering
23595 @cindex spam filtering variables
23596 @cindex spam variables
23599 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
23600 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
23601 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
23602 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
23603 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
23604 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
23605 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
23606 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
23607 will be detected later.
23609 The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
23610 but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
23611 for more information.
23613 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23614 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
23615 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
23616 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
23617 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
23618 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
23619 by customizing the corresponding variable
23620 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
23621 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
23622 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
23623 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
23624 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
23625 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
23626 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
23629 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
23631 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
23632 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
23633 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
23634 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
23635 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
23636 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
23637 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
23638 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
23639 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
23640 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
23641 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
23642 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
23643 processor which will study them as spam samples.
23645 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
23646 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
23647 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
23648 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
23649 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
23650 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
23651 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
23652 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
23655 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23656 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
23657 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
23658 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
23659 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
23660 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
23661 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
23666 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
23667 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
23668 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
23669 you really want to.
23672 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
23673 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
23674 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
23675 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
23676 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
23677 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
23680 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
23681 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
23682 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
23683 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
23684 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
23685 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
23686 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
23687 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
23688 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
23689 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
23690 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
23691 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
23692 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
23693 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
23694 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
23696 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23697 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23699 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23700 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
23701 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
23703 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
23704 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
23706 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
23707 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
23708 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
23709 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
23710 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
23712 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
23713 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
23714 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
23715 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
23716 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
23719 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
23720 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
23721 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
23722 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
23723 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
23724 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
23725 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
23726 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
23727 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
23728 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
23729 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
23730 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
23731 group buffer then you need it here as well.
23733 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
23734 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
23736 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
23737 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
23740 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
23741 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
23742 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
23743 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
23744 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
23745 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
23746 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
23748 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
23749 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
23750 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
23751 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
23753 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
23754 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
23755 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
23756 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
23757 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
23758 from the mail server.
23760 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
23761 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
23762 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
23763 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
23765 @node Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23766 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
23767 @cindex spam scoring
23768 @cindex spam sorting
23769 @cindex spam score summary buffer
23770 @cindex spam sort summary buffer
23773 You can display the spam score of articles in your summary buffer, and
23774 you can sort articles by their spam score.
23776 First you need to decide which back end you will be using. If you use
23777 the @code{spam-use-spamassassin},
23778 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}, or @code{spam-use-regex-headers}
23779 back end, the @code{X-Spam-Status} header will be used. If you use
23780 @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, the @code{X-Bogosity} header will be used.
23781 If you use @code{spam-use-crm114}, any header that matches the CRM114
23782 score format will be used. As long as you set the appropriate back end
23783 variable to t @emph{before} you load @file{spam.el}, you will be
23784 fine. @code{spam.el} will automatically add the right header to the
23785 internal Gnus list of required headers.
23787 To show the spam score in your summary buffer, add this line to your
23788 @code{gnus.el} file (note @code{spam.el} does not do that by default
23789 so it won't override any existing @code{S} formats you may have).
23792 (defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-S 'spam-user-format-function-S)
23795 Now just set your summary line format to use @code{%uS}. Here's an
23796 example that formats the spam score in a 5-character field:
23799 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
23800 "%U%R %10&user-date; $%5uS %6k %B %(%4L: %*%-25,25a%) %s \n")
23803 Finally, to sort by spam status, either do it globally:
23807 gnus-show-threads nil
23808 gnus-article-sort-functions
23809 '(spam-article-sort-by-spam-status))
23812 or per group (@pxref{Sorting the Summary Buffer}).
23814 @node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23815 @subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
23816 @cindex spam filtering
23817 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
23818 @cindex spam configuration examples
23821 @subsubheading Ted's setup
23823 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
23825 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
23826 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
23827 (gnus-registry-initialize)
23830 ;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
23831 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
23834 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
23836 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
23837 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
23838 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
23839 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23840 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
23841 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
23842 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
23843 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
23844 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
23845 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
23846 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
23847 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
23848 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
23849 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
23850 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
23851 (any "ding" "ding")
23852 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
23854 ;; @r{default mailbox}
23857 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
23859 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
23860 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
23861 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
23862 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
23864 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23866 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
23867 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
23868 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
23869 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
23870 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
23872 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
23873 ((spam-autodetect . t))
23875 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
23877 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
23878 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
23880 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
23881 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
23882 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
23884 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
23886 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
23887 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
23889 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
23890 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
23891 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
23893 (gnus-ticked-mark))
23894 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
23895 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
23896 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
23898 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
23899 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
23900 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
23904 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
23905 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23907 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
23908 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
23909 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
23910 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
23911 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
23912 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
23913 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
23914 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
23915 @samp{training.spam} folders.
23917 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
23918 does most of the job for me:
23921 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
23922 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
23923 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
23924 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
23925 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
23926 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
23927 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
23932 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
23934 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
23935 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
23936 bogofilter or DCC).
23938 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
23939 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
23940 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
23941 @ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
23942 messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
23943 the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
23944 deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
23946 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
23947 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
23948 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
23949 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
23950 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
23951 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
23953 @item @b{Ham folders:}
23955 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
23956 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
23957 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
23958 @samp{training.spam}.
23961 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
23963 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
23965 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
23966 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
23967 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
23971 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
23974 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
23975 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
23976 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
23977 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
23978 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
23980 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
23981 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
23982 @cindex spam filtering
23983 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
23984 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
23987 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
23989 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
23990 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
23991 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
23992 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
23997 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
23999 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24000 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24001 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24002 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24003 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24007 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24009 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24010 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24011 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24015 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24017 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24018 customizing the group parameters or the
24019 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24020 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24021 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24025 Instead of the obsolete
24026 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24027 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24028 the same way, we promise.
24032 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24034 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24035 customizing the group parameters or the
24036 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24037 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24038 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24043 Instead of the obsolete
24044 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24045 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24046 the same way, we promise.
24050 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24051 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24052 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24053 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24054 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24056 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24057 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24058 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24059 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24061 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24062 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24063 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24064 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24065 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24066 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24068 @node BBDB Whitelists
24069 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24070 @cindex spam filtering
24071 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24072 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24075 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24077 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24078 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24079 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24080 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24081 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24082 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24083 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24087 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24089 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24090 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24091 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24092 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24093 classified as spammers.
24095 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24096 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24097 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24098 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24103 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24105 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24106 customizing the group parameters or the
24107 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24108 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24109 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24114 Instead of the obsolete
24115 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24116 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24117 the same way, we promise.
24121 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24122 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24123 @cindex spam reporting
24124 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24125 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24128 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24130 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24131 customizing the group parameters or the
24132 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24133 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24134 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24137 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24141 Instead of the obsolete
24142 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24143 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24144 same way, we promise.
24148 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24150 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24151 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24152 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24153 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24154 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24158 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24160 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24161 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24162 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24166 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24167 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24168 @cindex spam filtering
24169 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24172 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24174 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24175 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24176 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24177 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24178 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24179 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24184 @subsubsection Blackholes
24185 @cindex spam filtering
24186 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24189 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24191 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24192 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24193 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24194 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24195 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24196 contains outdated servers.
24198 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24199 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24200 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24201 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24202 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24203 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24207 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24209 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24213 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24215 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24216 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24220 @defvar spam-use-dig
24222 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24223 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24227 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24228 ham processor for blackholes.
24230 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24231 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24232 @cindex spam filtering
24233 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24236 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24238 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24239 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24240 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24241 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24242 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24243 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24247 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24249 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24250 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24254 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24256 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24257 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24261 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24262 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24265 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24266 @cindex spam filtering
24267 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24270 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24272 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24275 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24276 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24277 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24278 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24279 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24280 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24282 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24283 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24286 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24287 processing will be turned off.
24289 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24293 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24295 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24296 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24297 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24298 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24299 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24300 installation documents for details.
24302 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24306 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24307 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24308 customizing the group parameters or the
24309 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24310 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24311 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24315 Instead of the obsolete
24316 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24317 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24318 the same way, we promise.
24321 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24322 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24323 customizing the group parameters or the
24324 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24325 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24326 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24327 of non-spam messages.
24331 Instead of the obsolete
24332 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24333 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24334 the same way, we promise.
24337 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24339 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24340 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24341 database directory.
24345 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24346 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24347 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24348 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24349 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24350 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24352 @node SpamAssassin back end
24353 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24354 @cindex spam filtering
24355 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24358 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24360 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24362 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24363 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24364 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24365 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24368 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24369 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24370 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24371 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24374 You should not enable this is you use
24375 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24379 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24381 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24382 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24384 You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24388 @defvar spam-spamassassin-path
24390 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24391 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24392 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24393 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
24397 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
24398 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
24399 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
24400 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
24401 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
24402 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
24403 to test this functionality.
24405 @node ifile spam filtering
24406 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
24407 @cindex spam filtering
24408 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
24411 @defvar spam-use-ifile
24413 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
24414 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
24418 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
24420 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
24421 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
24422 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
24426 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
24428 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
24429 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
24430 the default value of @samp{spam}.
24433 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
24435 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
24436 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
24440 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
24441 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24442 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
24443 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
24446 @node spam-stat spam filtering
24447 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
24448 @cindex spam filtering
24449 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
24453 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
24455 @defvar spam-use-stat
24457 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
24458 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
24462 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
24463 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24464 customizing the group parameters or the
24465 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24466 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24467 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
24471 Instead of the obsolete
24472 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24473 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24474 the same way, we promise.
24477 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
24478 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24479 customizing the group parameters or the
24480 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24481 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24482 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
24483 of non-spam messages.
24487 Instead of the obsolete
24488 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
24489 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
24490 the same way, we promise.
24493 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
24494 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
24495 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
24496 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
24497 @code{spam-split} are provided.
24500 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
24501 @cindex spam filtering
24505 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
24506 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
24507 installed separately.
24509 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
24510 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
24511 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
24512 mail as a spam mail or not.
24514 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
24515 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
24516 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
24518 The easiest method is to make @code{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
24519 Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
24521 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
24522 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
24523 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
24524 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
24525 the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
24526 this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
24527 SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
24528 @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
24532 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
24533 spam-split-group "Junk"
24534 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
24535 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24536 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
24539 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
24540 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
24544 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
24545 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
24546 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
24550 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
24551 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
24552 store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
24553 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
24554 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
24555 database to live somewhere special, set
24556 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
24559 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
24560 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
24561 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
24562 characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
24563 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
24564 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
24565 and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @code{spam.el}'s
24566 spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
24567 detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
24568 Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
24570 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
24571 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24572 customizing the group parameter or the
24573 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24574 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
24575 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
24579 Instead of the obsolete
24580 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24581 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24582 the same way, we promise.
24585 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
24586 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24587 customizing the group parameter or the
24588 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
24589 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
24590 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
24595 Instead of the obsolete
24596 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
24597 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
24598 the same way, we promise.
24601 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
24602 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
24605 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
24606 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
24607 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
24609 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
24610 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
24611 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
24612 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
24613 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
24614 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
24616 @node Extending the Spam ELisp package
24617 @subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
24618 @cindex spam filtering
24619 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
24620 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
24622 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
24623 incoming mail, provide the following:
24631 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
24632 "True if blackbox should be used.")
24635 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
24637 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
24638 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
24639 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
24640 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
24641 register/unregister spam and ham.
24646 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
24647 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
24648 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
24649 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
24654 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
24661 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
24662 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
24664 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
24665 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
24666 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
24667 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
24670 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
24671 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
24672 Only applicable to spam groups.")
24674 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
24675 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
24676 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
24685 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
24686 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
24688 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
24689 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
24690 variable customization.
24694 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
24696 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
24697 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
24699 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
24700 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
24706 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
24708 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
24709 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
24710 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
24713 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
24715 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
24716 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
24720 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
24722 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
24723 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
24724 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
24728 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
24730 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
24731 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
24732 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
24735 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
24737 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
24738 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
24742 @code{spam-install-backend}
24744 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
24745 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
24746 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
24749 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
24751 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
24752 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
24753 never install such a back end.
24759 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24760 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
24761 @cindex Paul Graham
24762 @cindex Graham, Paul
24763 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
24764 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
24765 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
24767 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
24768 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
24769 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
24770 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
24771 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
24772 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
24773 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
24774 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
24775 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
24778 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
24779 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
24780 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
24781 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
24782 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
24783 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
24784 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
24785 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
24787 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
24788 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
24789 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
24790 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
24791 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
24794 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
24795 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
24796 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
24799 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24800 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
24802 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
24803 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
24804 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
24805 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
24806 need several hundred emails in both collections.
24808 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
24809 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
24810 per mail. Use the following:
24812 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
24813 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
24814 is treated as one spam mail.
24817 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
24818 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
24819 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
24822 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
24823 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
24824 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
24825 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
24826 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
24827 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
24829 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
24830 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
24831 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
24832 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
24833 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
24836 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
24837 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
24838 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
24839 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
24842 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
24843 reset the dictionary.
24845 @defun spam-stat-reset
24846 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
24849 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
24850 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
24851 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
24852 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
24853 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
24854 only non-spam mails.
24856 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
24857 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
24858 to update the dictionary incrementally.
24861 @defun spam-stat-save
24862 Save the dictionary.
24865 @defvar spam-stat-file
24866 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
24867 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
24870 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
24871 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
24873 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
24874 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24877 (require 'spam-stat)
24881 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
24884 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
24885 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
24886 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
24887 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
24889 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
24890 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
24891 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
24892 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
24895 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24896 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24900 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
24901 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
24904 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
24905 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
24906 expression are considered potential spam.
24909 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24910 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24911 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24915 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
24916 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
24917 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
24918 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
24919 mails, when creating the dictionary!
24922 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24923 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24924 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24928 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
24929 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
24930 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
24931 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
24932 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
24936 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
24937 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
24938 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
24939 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
24944 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24945 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
24947 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
24949 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
24950 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
24951 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24954 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
24955 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
24956 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
24959 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
24960 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
24961 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
24962 already been processed as non-spam.
24965 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
24966 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
24967 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
24968 been processed as spam.
24971 @defun spam-stat-save
24972 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
24973 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24976 @defun spam-stat-load
24977 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
24978 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
24981 @defun spam-stat-score-word
24982 Return the spam score for a word.
24985 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
24986 Return the spam score for a buffer.
24989 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
24990 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
24991 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24994 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
24995 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24998 (require 'spam-stat)
25002 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25005 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25006 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25007 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25008 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25009 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25010 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25011 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25012 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25013 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25014 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25015 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25016 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25017 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25018 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25021 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25024 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25025 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25026 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25027 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25028 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25029 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25033 @section Interaction with other modes
25038 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
25039 buffers. It is enabled with
25041 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25046 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25047 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25048 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25051 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25052 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25053 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25057 @findex gnus-dired-print
25058 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25059 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25062 @node Various Various
25063 @section Various Various
25069 @item gnus-home-directory
25070 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25071 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25072 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25074 @item gnus-directory
25075 @vindex gnus-directory
25076 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25077 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25078 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25080 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25081 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25082 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25083 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25085 @item gnus-default-directory
25086 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25087 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25088 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25089 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25090 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25091 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25092 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25095 @vindex gnus-verbose
25096 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25097 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25098 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25099 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25100 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25102 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25103 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25104 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25105 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25107 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25108 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25109 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25110 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25111 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25112 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25113 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25114 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25115 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25116 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25118 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25119 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25120 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25121 read when doing the operation described above.
25123 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25124 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25126 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25127 @cindex characters in file names
25128 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25129 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25130 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25134 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25139 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25140 Windows (phooey) systems.
25142 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25143 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25144 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25145 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25146 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25148 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25149 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25150 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25151 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25152 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25154 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25155 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25156 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25158 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25159 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25161 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25162 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25163 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25164 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25167 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25175 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25176 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25178 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25180 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25186 Not because of victories @*
25189 but for the common sunshine,@*
25191 the largess of the spring.
25195 but for the day's work done@*
25196 as well as I was able;@*
25197 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25198 but at the common table.@*
25203 @chapter Appendices
25206 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25207 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25208 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25209 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25210 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25211 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25212 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25213 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25214 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25221 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25223 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25224 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25225 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25226 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25227 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25228 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25235 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25236 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25238 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25239 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25240 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25241 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25242 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25244 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25245 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25246 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25247 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25248 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25249 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25251 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25252 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25253 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25254 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25257 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25258 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25259 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25260 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25261 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25262 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25263 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25264 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25265 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25269 @node Gnus Versions
25270 @subsection Gnus Versions
25272 @cindex September Gnus
25274 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25275 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25278 @cindex Gnus versions
25280 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25281 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25282 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25284 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25285 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25287 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25288 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25290 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25291 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25293 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25294 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25297 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25298 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25300 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25302 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25303 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25304 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25305 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25306 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25307 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25310 @node Other Gnus Versions
25311 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25314 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25315 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25316 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25317 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25319 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25320 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25321 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25322 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25329 What's the point of Gnus?
25331 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25332 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25333 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25334 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25335 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25336 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25337 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25338 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25339 keep track of millions of people who post?
25341 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25342 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25343 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25344 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25345 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25346 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25347 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25348 every one of you to explore and invent.
25350 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25351 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25354 @node Compatibility
25355 @subsection Compatibility
25357 @cindex compatibility
25358 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25359 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25360 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25365 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25369 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25372 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25375 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25376 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
25377 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
25378 important variables have their values copied into their global
25379 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
25380 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
25382 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
25383 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
25384 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
25385 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
25386 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
25390 @cindex highlighting
25391 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
25392 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
25393 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
25394 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
25395 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
25396 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
25399 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
25400 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
25401 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
25402 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
25404 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
25405 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
25406 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
25407 to stop doing it the old way.
25409 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
25411 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25413 @cindex reporting bugs
25415 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
25416 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
25417 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
25419 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
25420 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
25421 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
25422 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
25427 @subsection Conformity
25429 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
25430 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
25438 There are no known breaches of this standard.
25442 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
25444 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
25445 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
25446 We do have some breaches to this one.
25452 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
25453 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
25454 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
25455 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
25456 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
25461 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
25462 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
25463 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
25464 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
25466 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
25467 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
25468 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
25470 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
25471 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
25473 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
25476 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
25477 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
25478 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
25479 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
25480 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
25483 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
25484 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
25485 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
25486 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
25488 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
25489 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
25491 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
25492 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
25493 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
25494 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
25495 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
25496 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
25497 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
25498 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
25502 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
25503 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
25508 @subsection Emacsen
25514 Gnus should work on:
25522 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
25526 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
25527 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
25530 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
25531 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
25532 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
25536 @node Gnus Development
25537 @subsection Gnus Development
25539 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
25540 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
25541 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
25542 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
25543 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
25544 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
25545 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
25546 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
25548 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
25549 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
25550 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
25551 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
25552 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
25555 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
25556 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
25557 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
25558 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
25559 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
25561 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
25562 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
25563 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
25564 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
25565 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
25566 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
25567 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
25568 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
25569 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
25570 can't be assumed to do so.
25575 @subsection Contributors
25576 @cindex contributors
25578 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
25579 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
25580 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
25581 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
25582 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
25583 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
25584 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
25585 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
25586 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
25587 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
25589 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
25595 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
25598 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
25599 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
25600 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
25601 functionality and stuff.
25604 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
25605 well as numerous other things).
25608 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
25611 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
25614 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
25617 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
25620 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
25621 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
25624 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
25627 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
25630 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
25633 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
25636 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
25639 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
25642 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
25643 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
25646 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
25649 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
25652 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
25655 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
25659 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
25662 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
25665 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
25668 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
25669 well as autoconf support.
25673 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
25674 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
25676 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
25691 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
25693 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
25697 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
25707 Alexei V. Barantsev,
25722 Massimo Campostrini,
25727 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
25728 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
25732 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
25735 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
25741 Michael Welsh Duggan,
25746 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
25750 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
25758 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
25760 Michelangelo Grigni,
25764 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
25766 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
25768 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
25775 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
25776 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
25777 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
25779 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
25789 Peter Skov Knudsen,
25790 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
25792 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
25793 Thor Kristoffersen,
25796 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
25814 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
25815 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
25822 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
25827 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
25831 John McClary Prevost,
25837 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
25842 Christian von Roques,
25845 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
25852 Philippe Schnoebelen,
25854 Randal L. Schwartz,
25868 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
25873 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
25893 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
25894 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
25895 (550kB and counting).
25897 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
25900 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
25901 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
25905 @subsection New Features
25906 @cindex new features
25909 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
25910 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
25911 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
25912 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
25913 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
25914 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
25915 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
25918 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
25919 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
25920 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
25923 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
25925 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
25930 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
25931 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
25934 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
25935 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
25938 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
25941 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
25942 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
25943 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
25946 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
25947 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
25948 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
25949 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
25952 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
25953 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25956 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
25957 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
25958 (@pxref{The Active File}).
25961 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
25962 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
25965 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
25966 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
25967 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
25970 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
25971 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
25972 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
25975 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
25976 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
25979 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
25980 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
25983 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
25984 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
25987 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
25988 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
25991 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
25992 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
25995 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
25996 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
25999 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
26002 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
26003 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
26006 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
26007 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
26010 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
26011 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
26014 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
26017 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
26018 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26021 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
26025 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
26029 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
26030 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
26033 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
26039 @node September Gnus
26040 @subsubsection September Gnus
26044 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26048 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26053 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26054 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26058 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26059 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26063 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26067 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26068 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26071 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26075 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26078 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26081 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26084 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26088 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26089 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26092 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26096 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26100 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26104 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26108 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26111 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26112 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26115 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26119 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26120 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26123 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26126 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26127 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26128 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26131 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26135 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26138 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26142 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26143 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26146 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26147 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26150 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26151 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26154 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26155 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26156 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26159 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26160 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26163 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26166 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26169 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26172 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26175 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26176 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26179 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26183 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26186 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26191 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26194 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26198 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26201 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26205 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26208 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26211 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26212 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26215 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26216 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26220 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26221 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26224 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26228 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26229 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26232 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26235 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26239 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26243 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26244 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26247 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26251 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26252 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26255 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26256 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26259 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26263 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26266 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26269 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26275 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26277 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26281 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26288 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26291 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26292 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26295 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26296 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26300 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26301 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26304 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26307 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26308 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26311 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26315 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26316 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26320 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26321 Server Internals}).
26324 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26328 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26331 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26332 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26335 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26336 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26337 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26340 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26341 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26344 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26345 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26348 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26352 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26353 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26356 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26357 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26360 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26364 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26367 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26371 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26372 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26375 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
26376 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26379 A new command for reading collections of documents
26380 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
26381 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
26384 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
26388 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
26389 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
26392 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
26393 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
26394 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
26397 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
26398 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
26402 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
26406 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
26410 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
26415 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
26419 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
26423 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
26424 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
26427 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
26433 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
26435 New features in Gnus 5.6:
26440 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
26441 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
26442 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
26445 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
26446 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
26447 group, which is created automatically.
26450 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
26454 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
26457 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
26458 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
26461 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
26465 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
26468 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
26469 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
26472 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
26475 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
26479 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
26480 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
26483 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
26484 control over simplification.
26487 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
26490 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
26494 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
26497 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
26500 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
26501 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
26502 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
26505 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
26506 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
26509 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
26513 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
26514 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
26517 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
26518 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
26521 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
26525 A history of where mails have been split is available.
26528 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
26531 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
26532 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
26535 A new function for citing in Message has been
26536 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
26539 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
26542 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
26546 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
26547 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
26550 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
26551 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
26554 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
26557 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
26561 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
26562 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
26564 New features in Gnus 5.8:
26569 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
26570 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
26572 If you used procmail like in
26575 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
26576 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
26577 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
26578 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
26581 this now has changed to
26585 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
26589 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
26592 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
26593 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
26596 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
26597 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
26600 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
26601 called to position point.
26604 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
26605 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
26608 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
26609 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
26612 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
26613 subtly different manner.
26616 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
26617 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
26618 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
26621 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
26626 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
26629 New features in Gnus 5.10:
26634 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
26635 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
26636 region if the region is active.
26639 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
26643 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
26644 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
26647 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
26648 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
26651 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
26653 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
26654 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
26655 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
26656 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
26657 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
26658 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
26659 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
26660 isn't save in general.
26665 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
26666 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
26667 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
26668 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
26673 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
26674 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
26675 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
26679 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
26682 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
26687 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
26688 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
26690 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
26691 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
26695 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
26696 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
26699 Retrieval of charters and control messages
26701 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
26702 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
26707 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
26708 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
26709 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
26712 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
26713 decompressed when activated.
26716 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
26717 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
26720 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
26723 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
26724 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
26727 Warn about email replies to news
26729 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
26730 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
26734 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
26735 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
26739 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
26740 opposed to old but unread messages).
26743 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
26744 Gcc articles as read.
26747 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
26750 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
26751 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
26754 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
26755 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
26758 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
26759 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
26762 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
26763 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
26766 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
26768 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
26769 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
26770 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
26771 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
26774 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
26776 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
26777 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
26778 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
26779 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
26780 the second parameter.
26782 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
26783 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
26784 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
26785 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
26786 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
26787 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
26788 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
26789 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
26790 cycle used under Unix systems.
26792 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
26796 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
26798 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
26799 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
26800 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
26801 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
26802 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
26806 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
26808 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
26809 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
26810 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
26811 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
26815 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
26817 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
26818 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
26819 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
26820 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
26822 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
26823 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
26824 message cited below.
26827 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
26830 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
26832 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
26833 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
26834 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
26835 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
26836 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
26839 (setq gnus-parameters
26841 (gnus-show-threads nil)
26842 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
26843 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
26844 (to-group . "\\1"))))
26848 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
26850 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
26854 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
26856 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
26857 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
26858 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
26859 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
26860 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
26861 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
26862 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
26863 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
26864 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
26867 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
26869 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
26870 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
26871 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
26872 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
26873 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
26874 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
26877 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
26878 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
26882 Improved anti-spam features.
26884 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
26885 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
26886 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
26887 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
26888 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
26891 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
26894 Face headers handling.
26897 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
26898 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
26901 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
26904 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
26906 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
26907 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
26908 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
26909 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
26910 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
26911 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
26912 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
26913 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
26914 when getting new mail, remove the function.
26917 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
26919 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
26920 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
26921 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
26922 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
26923 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
26924 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
26925 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
26926 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
26927 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
26928 was inserted directly.
26931 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
26933 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
26934 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
26940 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
26941 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
26942 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
26943 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
26944 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
26945 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
26946 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
26947 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
26948 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
26949 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
26950 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
26951 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
26952 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
26953 is not needed any more.
26956 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
26958 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
26959 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
26960 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
26961 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
26962 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
26966 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
26968 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
26969 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
26971 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
26972 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
26974 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
26976 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
26977 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
26978 lisp directory into load-path.
26980 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
26981 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
26984 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
26986 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
26989 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
26991 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
26992 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
26993 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
26994 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
26997 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
26999 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
27001 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
27002 'bbdb-complete-name)
27006 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
27008 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
27009 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
27010 local files as external parts.
27012 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
27013 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
27014 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
27015 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
27016 that support editing.
27019 @code{gnus-default-charset}
27021 The default value is determined from the
27022 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
27023 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
27024 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
27027 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
27029 Add a new format of match like
27031 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
27032 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27034 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27036 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27037 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27041 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27043 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27044 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27045 need add those two headers too.
27048 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27050 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27051 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27052 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27055 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27056 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27057 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27061 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27062 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27063 inline PGP signed messages. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27066 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27068 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27071 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27073 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27076 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27078 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27079 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27080 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27083 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27085 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27089 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27091 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27092 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27093 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27094 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27095 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27096 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27097 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27098 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27101 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27103 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27104 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27105 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27106 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27107 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27110 Extended format specs.
27112 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27113 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27114 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27115 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27116 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27117 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27120 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27122 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27123 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27124 out other articles.
27127 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27129 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27130 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27131 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27132 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27135 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27137 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27138 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27139 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27142 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27144 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27145 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27146 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27147 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27148 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27149 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27150 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27151 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27152 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27153 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27154 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27157 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27158 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27161 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27162 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27163 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27164 message, Message Manual}).
27167 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27168 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27170 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27171 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27172 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27174 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27178 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27179 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27181 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27182 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27183 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27184 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27187 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27190 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27193 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27194 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27197 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
27199 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27200 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27201 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27202 invalidate the digital signature.
27206 @subsubsection No Gnus
27209 New features in No Gnus:
27210 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27212 @include gnus-news.texi
27218 @section The Manual
27222 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27223 either @code{texi2dvi}
27225 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27226 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27228 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27230 The following conventions have been used:
27235 This is a @samp{string}
27238 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27241 This is a @file{file}
27244 This is a @code{symbol}
27248 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27252 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27255 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27258 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27261 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27262 ever get them confused.
27266 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27267 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27268 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27269 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27270 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27271 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27272 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27278 @node On Writing Manuals
27279 @section On Writing Manuals
27281 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27282 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27283 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27284 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27285 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27286 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
27289 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
27290 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
27291 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
27294 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
27295 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
27300 @section Terminology
27302 @cindex terminology
27307 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
27308 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
27309 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
27310 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
27311 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
27315 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
27316 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
27317 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
27318 not posting, and replying is not following up.
27322 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
27326 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
27331 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
27332 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
27333 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
27334 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
27335 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
27336 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
27337 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
27338 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
27339 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
27342 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
27343 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
27344 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
27345 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
27346 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
27347 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
27349 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
27350 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
27351 access the articles.
27353 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
27354 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
27355 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
27360 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
27361 default, way of getting news.
27365 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
27366 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
27371 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
27372 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
27376 A message that has been posted as news.
27379 @cindex mail message
27380 A message that has been mailed.
27384 A mail message or news article
27388 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
27393 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
27398 A line from the head of an article.
27402 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
27403 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
27405 @item @acronym{NOV}
27406 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
27407 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
27408 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
27409 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
27410 normal @sc{head} format.
27414 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
27415 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
27416 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
27417 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
27418 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
27419 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
27421 @item killed groups
27422 @cindex killed groups
27423 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
27424 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
27426 @item zombie groups
27427 @cindex zombie groups
27428 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
27431 @cindex active file
27432 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
27433 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
27434 is rather large, as you might surmise.
27437 @cindex bogus groups
27438 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
27439 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
27440 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
27443 @cindex activating groups
27444 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
27445 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
27446 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
27450 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
27451 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
27452 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
27456 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
27458 @item select method
27459 @cindex select method
27460 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
27463 @item virtual server
27464 @cindex virtual server
27465 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
27466 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
27467 whole is a virtual server.
27471 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
27472 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
27475 @item ephemeral groups
27476 @cindex ephemeral groups
27477 @cindex temporary groups
27478 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
27479 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
27480 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
27483 @cindex solid groups
27484 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
27485 group buffer are solid groups.
27487 @item sparse articles
27488 @cindex sparse articles
27489 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
27490 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
27494 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
27495 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
27499 @cindex thread root
27500 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
27501 articles in the thread.
27505 An article that has responses.
27509 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
27513 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
27514 specified by RFC 1153.
27517 @cindex splitting, terminolgy
27518 @cindex mail sorting
27519 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
27520 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
27521 incorrectly called mail filtering.
27527 @node Customization
27528 @section Customization
27529 @cindex general customization
27531 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
27532 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
27533 for some quite common situations.
27536 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
27537 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
27538 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
27539 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
27543 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
27544 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
27546 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
27547 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
27548 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
27552 @item gnus-read-active-file
27553 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
27554 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
27555 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27556 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
27557 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
27559 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
27560 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
27561 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
27562 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
27566 @node Slow Terminal Connection
27567 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
27569 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
27570 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
27571 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
27575 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
27576 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
27577 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
27578 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
27579 horizontal and vertical recentering.
27581 @item gnus-visible-headers
27582 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
27583 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
27584 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
27585 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
27587 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
27589 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
27590 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
27591 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
27594 @item gnus-use-full-window
27595 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
27596 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
27597 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
27598 want to read them anyway.
27600 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
27601 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
27605 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
27606 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
27607 lines, which might save some time.
27611 @node Little Disk Space
27612 @subsection Little Disk Space
27615 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
27616 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
27620 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
27621 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
27622 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27623 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27626 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
27627 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
27628 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
27629 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
27632 @item gnus-save-killed-list
27633 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
27634 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
27635 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
27636 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
27642 @subsection Slow Machine
27643 @cindex slow machine
27645 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
27646 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
27648 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
27649 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
27651 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
27652 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
27653 summary buffer faster.
27657 @node Troubleshooting
27658 @section Troubleshooting
27659 @cindex troubleshooting
27661 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
27669 Make sure your computer is switched on.
27672 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
27673 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
27677 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
27678 like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
27679 you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
27682 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
27683 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
27686 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
27687 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
27688 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
27689 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
27690 something like that.
27693 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
27696 @cindex reporting bugs
27698 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27700 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
27701 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
27702 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
27703 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
27705 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
27706 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
27707 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
27708 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
27711 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
27712 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
27713 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
27714 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
27715 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
27716 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
27718 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
27719 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
27720 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
27724 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
27725 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
27728 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
27729 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
27730 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
27731 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
27732 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
27733 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
27734 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
27735 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
27736 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
27737 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
27738 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
27739 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
27740 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
27741 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
27746 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
27747 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
27748 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
27749 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
27750 helps isolating the real problem areas).
27752 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
27753 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
27754 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
27755 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
27756 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
27757 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
27758 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
27759 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
27760 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
27761 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
27762 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
27763 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
27764 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
27767 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
27768 @cindex ding mailing list
27769 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
27770 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
27771 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
27772 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
27776 @node Gnus Reference Guide
27777 @section Gnus Reference Guide
27779 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
27780 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
27781 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
27782 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
27785 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
27786 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
27787 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
27788 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
27789 and general methods of operation.
27792 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
27793 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
27794 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
27795 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
27796 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
27797 * Group Info:: The group info format.
27798 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
27799 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
27800 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
27804 @node Gnus Utility Functions
27805 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
27806 @cindex Gnus utility functions
27807 @cindex utility functions
27809 @cindex internal variables
27811 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
27812 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
27813 Below is a list of the most common ones.
27817 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
27818 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
27819 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
27821 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
27822 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
27823 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
27825 @item gnus-group-real-name
27826 @findex gnus-group-real-name
27827 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
27830 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
27831 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
27832 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
27833 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
27835 @item gnus-get-info
27836 @findex gnus-get-info
27837 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
27839 @item gnus-group-unread
27840 @findex gnus-group-unread
27841 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
27845 @findex gnus-active
27846 The active entry for @var{group}.
27848 @item gnus-set-active
27849 @findex gnus-set-active
27850 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
27852 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27853 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
27854 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
27857 @item gnus-continuum-version
27858 @findex gnus-continuum-version
27859 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
27860 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
27863 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
27864 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
27865 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
27867 @item gnus-news-group-p
27868 @findex gnus-news-group-p
27869 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
27871 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27872 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
27873 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
27875 @item gnus-server-to-method
27876 @findex gnus-server-to-method
27877 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
27879 @item gnus-server-equal
27880 @findex gnus-server-equal
27881 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
27883 @item gnus-group-native-p
27884 @findex gnus-group-native-p
27885 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
27887 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
27888 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
27889 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
27891 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
27892 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
27893 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
27895 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
27896 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
27897 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
27898 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
27900 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
27901 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
27902 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
27904 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
27905 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
27906 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
27908 @item gnus-check-backend-function
27909 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
27910 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
27911 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
27914 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
27918 @item gnus-read-method
27919 @findex gnus-read-method
27920 Prompts the user for a select method.
27925 @node Back End Interface
27926 @subsection Back End Interface
27928 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
27929 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
27930 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
27931 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
27932 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
27933 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
27935 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
27936 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
27937 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
27938 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
27939 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
27940 been opened, the function should fail.
27942 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
27943 name. Take this example:
27947 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
27948 (nntp-port-number 4324))
27951 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
27952 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
27954 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
27955 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
27956 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
27958 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
27959 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
27960 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
27962 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
27963 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
27964 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
27965 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
27966 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
27967 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
27970 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
27971 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
27972 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
27973 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
27976 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
27977 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
27978 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
27979 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
27980 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
27981 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
27982 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
27983 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
27984 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
27985 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
27987 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
27988 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
27989 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
27990 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
27991 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
27992 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
27993 of numbers as long as possible.
27995 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
27996 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
27997 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
27999 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
28002 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
28005 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
28006 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
28007 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
28008 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
28009 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
28010 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
28014 @node Required Back End Functions
28015 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
28019 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
28021 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
28022 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
28023 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
28024 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
28026 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
28027 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
28028 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
28029 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
28031 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
28032 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
28033 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28034 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28035 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28036 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28037 number, do maximum fetches.
28039 Here's an example HEAD:
28042 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28043 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28044 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28045 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28046 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28047 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28048 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28050 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28051 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28052 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28056 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28057 these in the data buffer.
28059 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28063 head = error / valid-head
28064 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28065 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28066 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28067 header = <text> eol
28071 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28073 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28074 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28078 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28079 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28080 field = <text except TAB>
28083 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28087 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28089 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28090 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28092 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28093 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28094 server. In fact, it should do so.
28096 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28097 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28100 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28102 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28103 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28106 There should be no data returned.
28109 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28111 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28112 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28113 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28114 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28116 There should be no data returned.
28119 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28121 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28122 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28123 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28124 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28126 There should be no data returned.
28129 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28131 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28133 There should be no data returned.
28136 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28138 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28139 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28140 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28141 it would be nice if that were possible.
28143 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28144 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28145 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28146 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28147 into its article buffer.
28149 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28150 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28151 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28152 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28153 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28154 on successful article retrieval.
28157 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28159 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28160 making @var{group} the current group.
28162 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28165 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28168 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28171 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28172 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28173 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28174 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28175 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28176 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28177 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28178 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28179 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28183 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28184 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28185 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28189 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28191 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28192 a no-op on most back ends.
28194 There should be no data returned.
28197 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28199 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28202 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28205 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28206 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28209 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28210 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28211 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28212 and the highest as 0.
28215 active-file = *active-line
28216 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28218 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28221 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28222 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28223 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28226 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28228 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28229 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28230 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28231 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28232 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28233 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28235 There should be no result data from this function.
28240 @node Optional Back End Functions
28241 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28245 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28247 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28248 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
28249 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
28251 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
28252 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
28253 former is in the same format as the data from
28254 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
28255 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
28258 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
28262 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
28264 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
28265 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
28266 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
28267 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
28268 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
28269 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
28270 the network resources).
28272 There should be no result data from this function.
28275 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
28277 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
28278 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
28279 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
28280 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
28281 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
28282 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
28283 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
28284 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
28286 There should be no result data from this function.
28289 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
28291 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
28292 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
28293 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
28294 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
28295 propagate the mark information to the server.
28297 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
28300 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
28303 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
28304 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
28305 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
28306 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
28307 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
28308 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
28309 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
28310 possible, not limit itself to these.
28312 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
28313 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
28314 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
28315 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
28317 An example action list:
28320 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
28321 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
28322 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
28325 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
28326 mark on (currently not used for anything).
28328 There should be no result data from this function.
28330 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
28332 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
28333 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
28334 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
28335 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
28336 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
28338 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
28339 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
28340 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
28343 There should be no result data from this function.
28346 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
28348 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
28349 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
28350 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
28351 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
28352 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
28353 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
28354 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
28355 local if that's practical.
28357 There should be no result data from this function.
28360 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
28362 The result data from this function should be a description of
28366 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
28368 description = <text>
28371 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
28373 The result data from this function should be the description of all
28374 groups available on the server.
28377 description-buffer = *description-line
28381 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
28383 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
28384 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
28385 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
28386 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
28387 in the active buffer format.
28389 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
28390 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
28391 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
28392 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
28393 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
28394 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
28395 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
28398 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28400 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
28402 There should be no return data.
28405 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
28407 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
28408 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
28409 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
28410 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
28411 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
28414 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
28417 There should be no result data returned.
28420 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
28422 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
28423 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
28425 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
28426 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
28427 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
28428 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
28429 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
28430 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
28432 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
28433 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
28436 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28437 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28439 There should be no data returned.
28442 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
28444 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
28445 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
28446 this function in short order.
28448 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
28449 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
28451 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
28452 article for that group.
28454 There should be no data returned.
28457 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
28459 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
28460 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
28462 There should be no data returned.
28465 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
28467 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
28468 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
28469 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
28471 There should be no data returned.
28474 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
28476 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
28477 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
28479 There should be no data returned.
28484 @node Error Messaging
28485 @subsubsection Error Messaging
28487 @findex nnheader-report
28488 @findex nnheader-get-report
28489 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
28490 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
28491 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
28492 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
28493 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
28494 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
28497 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
28499 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
28502 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
28503 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
28504 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
28505 takes one argument---the server symbol.
28507 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
28508 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
28509 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
28512 @node Writing New Back Ends
28513 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
28515 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
28516 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
28517 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
28518 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
28519 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
28522 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
28523 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
28524 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
28526 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
28527 package called @code{nnoo}.
28529 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
28530 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
28536 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
28537 parameters. For instance:
28540 (nnoo-declare nndir
28544 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
28545 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
28548 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
28549 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
28550 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
28552 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
28553 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
28554 a function in those back ends.
28557 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28558 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28559 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28562 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
28563 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
28564 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
28566 @item nnoo-define-basics
28567 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
28571 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28575 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
28576 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
28577 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
28579 @item nnoo-map-functions
28580 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
28581 functions from the parent back ends.
28584 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28585 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28586 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
28589 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
28590 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
28591 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
28592 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
28595 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
28596 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
28597 haven't already been defined.
28603 nnmh-request-newgroups)
28607 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
28608 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
28609 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
28614 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
28617 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
28618 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
28622 (require 'nnheader)
28626 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
28628 (nnoo-declare nndir
28631 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
28632 "Where nndir will look for groups."
28633 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
28635 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
28636 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
28639 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
28641 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
28642 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
28643 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
28645 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
28646 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
28648 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
28650 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
28652 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
28653 (setq nndir-directory
28654 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
28656 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
28657 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
28658 (push `(nndir-current-group
28659 ,(file-name-nondirectory
28660 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28662 (push `(nndir-top-directory
28663 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
28665 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
28667 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
28668 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28669 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
28670 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
28671 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
28675 nnmh-status-message
28677 nnmh-request-newgroups))
28683 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28684 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
28686 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
28687 @findex gnus-declare-backend
28688 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
28689 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
28690 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
28692 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
28693 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
28698 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
28701 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
28703 The abilities can be:
28707 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
28709 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
28711 This back end supports both mail and news.
28713 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
28716 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
28717 articles and groups.
28719 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
28720 true for almost all back ends.
28721 @item prompt-address
28722 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
28723 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
28724 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
28728 @node Mail-like Back Ends
28729 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
28731 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
28732 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
28733 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
28734 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
28737 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
28738 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
28739 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
28742 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
28743 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
28746 This function takes four parameters.
28750 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
28753 @item exit-function
28754 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
28756 @item temp-directory
28757 Where the temporary files should be stored.
28760 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
28761 performed for one group only.
28764 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
28765 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
28766 find the article number assigned to this article.
28768 The function also uses the following variables:
28769 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
28770 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
28771 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
28772 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
28776 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
28777 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
28781 @node Score File Syntax
28782 @subsection Score File Syntax
28784 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
28785 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
28786 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
28788 Here's a typical score file:
28792 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
28799 BNF definition of a score file:
28802 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
28803 element = rule / atom
28804 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
28805 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
28806 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
28807 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
28809 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
28810 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
28811 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
28812 date-header = "date"
28813 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28814 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28815 score = "nil" / <integer>
28816 date = "nil" / <natural number>
28817 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
28818 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
28819 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
28820 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
28821 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28822 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
28823 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
28824 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
28825 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
28826 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
28827 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
28828 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
28829 exclude-files / read-only / touched
28830 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
28831 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
28832 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
28833 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
28834 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
28835 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
28836 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
28837 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
28838 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
28839 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
28840 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
28841 eval = "eval" space <form>
28842 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
28845 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
28848 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
28849 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
28850 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
28851 one looong line, then that's ok.
28853 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
28854 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28858 @subsection Headers
28860 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
28861 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
28862 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
28863 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
28865 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
28866 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
28867 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
28868 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
28869 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
28870 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
28871 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
28873 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
28874 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
28875 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
28876 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
28877 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
28879 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
28880 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
28886 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
28887 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
28889 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
28890 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
28891 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
28892 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
28894 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
28898 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
28901 is transformed into
28904 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
28907 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
28908 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
28911 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
28914 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
28915 is slightly tricky:
28918 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
28924 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
28927 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
28933 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
28940 and is equal to the previous range.
28942 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
28943 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
28944 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
28948 range = simple-range / normal-range
28949 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
28950 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
28951 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
28952 number *[ " " contents ]
28955 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
28956 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
28957 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
28958 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
28959 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
28964 @subsection Group Info
28966 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
28967 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
28968 describes the group.
28970 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
28971 second is a more complex one:
28974 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
28976 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
28977 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
28979 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
28982 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
28983 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
28984 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
28985 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
28986 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
28987 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
28988 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
28989 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
28990 this section is about.
28992 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
28993 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
28994 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
28996 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
28999 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
29000 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
29001 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29002 group = quote <string> quote
29003 ralevel = rank / level
29004 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29005 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
29006 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29008 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
29009 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
29010 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
29011 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
29014 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
29015 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
29018 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
29019 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
29022 @item gnus-info-group
29023 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
29024 @findex gnus-info-group
29025 @findex gnus-info-set-group
29026 Get/set the group name.
29028 @item gnus-info-rank
29029 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
29030 @findex gnus-info-rank
29031 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
29032 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29034 @item gnus-info-level
29035 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29036 @findex gnus-info-level
29037 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29038 Get/set the group level.
29040 @item gnus-info-score
29041 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29042 @findex gnus-info-score
29043 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29044 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29046 @item gnus-info-read
29047 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29048 @findex gnus-info-read
29049 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29050 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29052 @item gnus-info-marks
29053 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29054 @findex gnus-info-marks
29055 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29056 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29058 @item gnus-info-method
29059 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29060 @findex gnus-info-method
29061 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29062 Get/set the group select method.
29064 @item gnus-info-params
29065 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29066 @findex gnus-info-params
29067 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29068 Get/set the group parameters.
29071 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29072 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29074 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29075 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29076 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29077 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29080 @node Extended Interactive
29081 @subsection Extended Interactive
29082 @cindex interactive
29083 @findex gnus-interactive
29085 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29086 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29087 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29090 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29091 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29096 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29097 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29098 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29099 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29100 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29101 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29102 @code{interactive}.
29104 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29109 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29110 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29114 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29115 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29116 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29119 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29123 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29127 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29133 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29134 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29138 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29139 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29140 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29142 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29143 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29144 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29145 Gnus, that's very useful.
29147 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29148 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29149 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29150 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29151 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29152 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29153 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29154 following function:
29157 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29161 (,function ,@@args))
29165 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29166 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29167 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29170 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29171 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29172 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29174 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29175 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29176 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29179 @node Various File Formats
29180 @subsection Various File Formats
29183 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29184 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29188 @node Active File Format
29189 @subsubsection Active File Format
29191 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29192 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29195 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29198 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29199 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29200 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29201 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29202 no.general 1000 900 y
29205 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29208 active = *group-line
29209 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29210 group = <non-white-space string>
29212 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29213 low-number = <positive integer>
29214 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29217 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29218 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29221 @node Newsgroups File Format
29222 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29224 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29225 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29226 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29229 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29230 Here's the definition:
29234 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29235 group = <non-white-space string>
29237 description = <string>
29242 @node Emacs for Heathens
29243 @section Emacs for Heathens
29245 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29246 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29247 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29248 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
29249 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
29250 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
29251 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
29255 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
29256 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
29261 @subsection Keystrokes
29265 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
29268 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
29271 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
29272 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
29273 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
29274 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
29275 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
29276 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
29278 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
29279 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
29280 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
29281 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
29282 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
29283 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
29284 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
29286 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
29287 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
29288 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
29289 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
29290 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
29291 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
29292 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
29294 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
29295 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
29296 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
29297 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
29298 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
29304 @subsection Emacs Lisp
29306 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
29307 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
29308 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
29309 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
29311 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
29312 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
29313 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
29314 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
29315 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
29316 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
29317 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
29318 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
29319 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
29320 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
29322 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
29323 write the following:
29326 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
29329 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
29330 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
29331 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
29332 change how Gnus works.
29334 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
29335 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
29336 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
29337 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
29338 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
29340 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
29341 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
29342 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
29346 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
29350 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
29353 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
29354 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
29357 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
29360 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
29361 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
29364 @include gnus-faq.texi
29384 @c Local Variables:
29386 @c coding: iso-8859-1
29390 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819