10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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286 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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295 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
297 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
300 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
301 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
302 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
303 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
304 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
305 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
306 License'' in the Emacs manual.
308 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
309 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
310 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
312 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
313 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
314 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
315 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
323 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
325 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
326 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
328 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
329 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
330 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
331 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
332 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
333 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
334 License'' in the Emacs manual.
336 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
337 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
338 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
340 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
341 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
342 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
343 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
351 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
354 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
357 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
359 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
360 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
361 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
362 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
363 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
364 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
365 License'' in the Emacs manual.
367 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
368 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
369 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
371 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
372 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
373 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
374 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
383 @top The Gnus Newsreader
387 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
388 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
389 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
392 This manual corresponds to Gnus v5.10.1.
403 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
404 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
406 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
407 being accused of plagiarism:
409 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
410 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
411 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
412 can even read news with it!
414 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
415 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
416 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
417 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
418 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
424 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
425 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
426 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
427 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
428 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
429 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
430 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
431 * Various:: General purpose settings.
432 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
433 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
434 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
435 * Key Index:: Key Index.
437 Other related manuals
439 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
440 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
441 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
442 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
445 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
449 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
450 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
451 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
452 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
453 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
454 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
455 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
456 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
457 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
458 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
459 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
463 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
464 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
465 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
469 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
470 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
471 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
472 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
473 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
474 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
475 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
476 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
477 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
478 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
479 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
480 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
481 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
482 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
483 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
484 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
485 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
489 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
490 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
491 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
495 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
496 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
497 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
498 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
499 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
503 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
504 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
505 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
506 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
507 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
511 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
512 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
513 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
514 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
515 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
516 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
517 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
518 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
519 * Threading:: How threads are made.
520 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
521 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
522 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
523 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
524 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
525 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
526 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
527 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
528 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
529 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
530 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
531 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
532 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
533 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
534 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
535 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
536 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
537 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
538 or reselecting the current group.
539 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
540 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
541 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
542 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
544 Summary Buffer Format
546 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
547 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
548 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
549 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
553 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
554 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
556 Reply, Followup and Post
558 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
559 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
560 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
561 * Canceling and Superseding::
565 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
566 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
567 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
569 * Generic Marking Commands::
570 * Setting Process Marks::
574 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
575 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
576 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
580 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
581 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
583 Customizing Threading
585 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
586 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
587 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
588 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
592 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
593 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
594 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
595 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
596 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
597 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
601 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
602 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
603 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
607 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
608 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
609 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
610 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
611 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
612 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
613 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
614 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
615 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
616 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
617 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
619 Alternative Approaches
621 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
622 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
624 Various Summary Stuff
626 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
627 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
628 * Summary Generation Commands::
629 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
633 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
634 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
635 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
636 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
637 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
641 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
642 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
643 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
644 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
645 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
646 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
647 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
648 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
652 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
653 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
654 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
655 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
656 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
657 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
658 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
659 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
663 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
664 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
665 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
666 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
667 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
668 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
669 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
673 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
674 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
678 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
679 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
680 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
684 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
685 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
686 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
687 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
688 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
689 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
690 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
691 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
692 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
693 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
694 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
695 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
696 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
700 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
701 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
702 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
704 Choosing a Mail Back End
706 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
707 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
708 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
709 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
710 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
711 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
712 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
717 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
718 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
719 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
720 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
721 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
722 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
726 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
727 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
728 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
729 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
730 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
734 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
735 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
736 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
737 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
738 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
742 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
746 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
747 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
748 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
752 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
753 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
757 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
758 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
759 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
760 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
761 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
762 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
763 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
764 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
765 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
766 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
767 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
768 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
772 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
773 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
774 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
778 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
779 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
780 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
784 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
785 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
786 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
787 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
788 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
789 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
790 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
791 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
792 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
793 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
794 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
795 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
796 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
797 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
798 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
799 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
800 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
804 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
805 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
806 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
807 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
811 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
812 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
813 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
817 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
818 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
819 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
820 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
821 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
822 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
823 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
824 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
825 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
826 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
827 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
828 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
829 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
830 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
831 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
832 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
833 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
834 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
835 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
839 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
840 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
841 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
842 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
843 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
844 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
845 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
846 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
850 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
851 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
852 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
853 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
857 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
858 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
859 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
860 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
861 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
862 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
866 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
867 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
868 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
869 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
870 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
871 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
872 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
873 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
874 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ.
878 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
879 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
880 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
881 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
882 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
883 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
884 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
885 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
886 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
890 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
891 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
892 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
893 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
894 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
895 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
899 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
900 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
901 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
902 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
906 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
907 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
908 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
909 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
910 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
911 * Group Info:: The group info format.
912 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
913 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
914 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
918 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
919 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
920 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
921 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
922 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
923 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
927 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
928 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
932 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
933 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
939 @chapter Starting Gnus
944 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
945 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
948 @findex gnus-other-frame
949 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
950 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
951 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
953 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
954 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
955 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
957 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
958 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
961 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
962 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
963 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
964 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
965 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
966 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
967 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
968 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
969 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
970 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
971 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
975 @node Finding the News
976 @section Finding the News
979 @vindex gnus-select-method
981 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
982 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
983 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
984 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
987 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
988 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
991 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
994 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
997 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1000 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1001 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1002 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1004 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1006 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1007 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1008 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1009 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1010 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1011 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1012 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1014 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1015 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1016 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1017 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1019 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1020 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1021 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1022 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1023 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1024 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1025 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1026 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1027 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1030 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1032 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1033 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1034 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1035 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1036 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1037 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1039 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1041 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1042 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1043 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1044 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1045 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1046 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1049 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1050 you would typically set this variable to
1053 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1057 @node The First Time
1058 @section The First Time
1059 @cindex first time usage
1061 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1062 be subscribed by default.
1064 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1065 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1066 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1067 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1070 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1071 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1072 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1074 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1075 help you with most common problems.
1077 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1078 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1082 @node The Server is Down
1083 @section The Server is Down
1084 @cindex server errors
1086 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1087 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1088 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1090 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1091 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1092 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1093 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1094 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1095 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1096 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1098 @findex gnus-no-server
1099 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1101 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1102 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1103 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1104 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1105 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1106 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1107 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1111 @section Slave Gnusae
1114 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1115 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1116 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1117 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1119 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1120 @file{.newsrc} file.
1122 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1123 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1124 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1125 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1126 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1127 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1128 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1131 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1132 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1133 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1134 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1135 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1136 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1137 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1138 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1140 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1141 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1143 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1144 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1145 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1146 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1147 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1149 @node Fetching a Group
1150 @section Fetching a Group
1151 @cindex fetching a group
1153 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1154 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1155 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1156 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1157 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1158 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1164 @cindex subscription
1166 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1167 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1168 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1169 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1170 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1171 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1172 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1173 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1174 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1177 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1178 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1179 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1183 @node Checking New Groups
1184 @subsection Checking New Groups
1186 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1187 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1188 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1189 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1190 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1191 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1192 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1193 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1194 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1195 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1197 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1198 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1199 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1200 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1201 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1202 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1203 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1204 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1205 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1206 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1207 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1209 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1210 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1211 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1212 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1213 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1214 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1217 @node Subscription Methods
1218 @subsection Subscription Methods
1220 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1221 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1222 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1224 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1225 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1227 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1231 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1232 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1233 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1234 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1235 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1239 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1240 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1242 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1243 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1244 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1246 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1247 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1248 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1249 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1250 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1251 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1252 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1253 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1254 up. Or something like that.
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1258 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1259 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1260 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1264 Kill all new groups.
1266 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1267 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1268 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1269 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1270 topic parameter that looks like
1276 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1279 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1284 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1285 A closely related variable is
1286 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1287 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1288 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1289 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1292 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1293 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1294 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1295 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1298 @node Filtering New Groups
1299 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1301 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1302 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1303 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1306 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1309 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1310 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1311 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1312 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1313 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1314 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1315 subscribing these groups.
1316 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1317 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1319 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1320 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1321 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1322 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1323 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1324 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1325 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1326 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1328 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1329 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1330 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1331 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1332 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1333 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1334 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1335 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1336 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1337 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1340 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1341 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1344 @node Changing Servers
1345 @section Changing Servers
1346 @cindex changing servers
1348 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1349 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1350 very flaky and you want to use another.
1352 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1353 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1357 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1358 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1359 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1360 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1363 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1364 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1365 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1366 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1368 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1369 @findex gnus-change-server
1370 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1371 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1372 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1373 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1374 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1376 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1377 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1378 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1379 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1380 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1382 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1383 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1384 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1385 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1386 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1387 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1389 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1390 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1391 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1392 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1394 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1395 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1396 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1397 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1398 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1399 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1400 cache for all groups).
1404 @section Startup Files
1405 @cindex startup files
1410 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1411 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1413 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1414 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1415 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1416 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1417 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1418 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1419 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1421 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1422 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1423 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1424 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1425 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1426 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1428 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1429 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1430 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1431 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1432 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1433 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1434 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1435 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1436 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1437 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1439 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1440 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1441 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1442 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1443 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1444 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1445 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1446 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1447 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1448 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1449 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1450 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1452 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1453 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1454 @vindex version-control
1455 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1456 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1457 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1458 If you want version control for this file, set
1459 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1460 @code{version-control} variable.
1462 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1463 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1464 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1465 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1466 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1467 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1468 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1469 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1470 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1471 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1474 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1475 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1477 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1478 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1481 @vindex gnus-init-file
1482 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1483 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1484 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1485 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1486 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1487 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1488 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1489 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1490 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1491 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1497 @cindex dribble file
1500 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1501 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1502 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1503 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1504 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1507 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1508 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1511 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1512 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1513 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1515 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1516 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1517 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1518 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1519 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1520 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1522 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1523 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1524 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1527 @node The Active File
1528 @section The Active File
1530 @cindex ignored groups
1532 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1533 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1534 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1536 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1537 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1538 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1539 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1540 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1541 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1542 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1545 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1546 @c if you set it to anything else.
1548 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1550 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1551 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1552 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1554 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1555 you actually subscribe to.
1557 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1558 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1559 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1560 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1562 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1563 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1564 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1565 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1566 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1567 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1569 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1570 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1571 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1574 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1575 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1576 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1577 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1578 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1579 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1581 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1582 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1584 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1585 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1587 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1588 secondary select methods.
1591 @node Startup Variables
1592 @section Startup Variables
1596 @item gnus-load-hook
1597 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1598 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1599 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1600 times you start Gnus.
1602 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1603 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1604 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1606 @item gnus-startup-hook
1607 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1608 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1610 @item gnus-started-hook
1611 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1612 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1615 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1616 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1617 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1618 generating the group buffer.
1620 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1621 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1622 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1623 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1624 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1625 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1626 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1627 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1629 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1630 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1631 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1632 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1633 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1634 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1636 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1637 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1638 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1640 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1641 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1642 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1644 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1645 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1646 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1647 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1653 @chapter Group Buffer
1654 @cindex group buffer
1656 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1658 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1659 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1660 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1661 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1662 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1663 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1664 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1665 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1666 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1667 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1668 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1669 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1670 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1671 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1672 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1673 @c human rights at 9...
1676 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1677 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1678 long as Gnus is active.
1682 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1683 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1684 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1685 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1686 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1687 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1688 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1689 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1695 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1696 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1697 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1698 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1699 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1700 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1701 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1702 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1703 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1704 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1705 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1706 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1707 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1708 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1709 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1710 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1711 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1715 @node Group Buffer Format
1716 @section Group Buffer Format
1719 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1720 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1721 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1725 @node Group Line Specification
1726 @subsection Group Line Specification
1727 @cindex group buffer format
1729 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1730 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1732 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1735 25: news.announce.newusers
1736 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1741 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1742 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1743 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1744 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1746 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1747 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1748 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1749 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1750 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1751 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1753 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1755 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1756 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1757 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1758 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1759 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1761 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1762 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1763 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1765 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1770 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1773 Whether the group is subscribed.
1776 Level of subscribedness.
1779 Number of unread articles.
1782 Number of dormant articles.
1785 Number of ticked articles.
1788 Number of read articles.
1791 Number of unseen articles.
1794 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1795 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1797 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1798 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1799 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1800 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1801 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1802 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1803 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1804 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1807 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1810 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1819 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1820 comment element in the group parameters.
1823 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1824 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1825 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1829 @samp{m} if moderated.
1832 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1838 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1844 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1848 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1851 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1852 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1853 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1854 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1855 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1858 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1860 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1864 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1867 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1871 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1872 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1873 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1874 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1875 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1876 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1881 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1882 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1883 group, or a bogus native group.
1886 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1887 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1888 @cindex group mode line
1890 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1891 The mode line can be changed by setting
1892 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1893 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1897 The native news server.
1899 The native select method.
1903 @node Group Highlighting
1904 @subsection Group Highlighting
1905 @cindex highlighting
1906 @cindex group highlighting
1908 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1909 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1910 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1911 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1912 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1914 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1918 (cond (window-system
1919 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1920 (defface my-group-face-1
1921 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1922 (defface my-group-face-2
1923 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1924 "Second group face")
1925 (defface my-group-face-3
1926 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1927 (defface my-group-face-4
1928 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1929 (defface my-group-face-5
1930 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1932 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1933 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1934 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1935 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1936 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1937 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1940 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1942 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1949 The number of unread articles in the group.
1953 Whether the group is a mail group.
1955 The level of the group.
1957 The score of the group.
1959 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1961 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1962 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1964 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1965 topic being inserted.
1968 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1969 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1970 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1972 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1973 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1974 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1975 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1976 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1979 @node Group Maneuvering
1980 @section Group Maneuvering
1981 @cindex group movement
1983 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1984 expected, hopefully.
1990 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1991 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1992 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1998 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1999 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2000 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2004 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2005 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2009 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2010 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2014 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2015 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2016 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2020 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2021 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2022 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2025 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2031 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2032 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2033 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2038 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2039 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2040 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2044 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2045 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2046 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2049 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2050 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2051 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2052 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2056 @node Selecting a Group
2057 @section Selecting a Group
2058 @cindex group selection
2063 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2064 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2065 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2066 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2067 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2068 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2069 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2070 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2071 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2072 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2074 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2075 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2076 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2078 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2079 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2084 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2085 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2086 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2087 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2088 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2092 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2093 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2094 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2095 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2096 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2097 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2098 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2099 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2100 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2101 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2104 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2105 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2106 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2107 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2108 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2111 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2112 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2113 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2114 doing any processing of its contents
2115 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2116 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2117 manner will have no permanent effects.
2121 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2122 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2123 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2124 considered big. The default vaule is 200. If the group has more
2125 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2126 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2127 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2128 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2129 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2130 most recently will be fetched.
2132 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2133 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2134 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2137 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2138 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2139 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2140 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2141 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2142 Which article this is is controlled by the
2143 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2149 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2152 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2155 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2157 @item unseen-or-unread
2158 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2159 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2163 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2167 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2168 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2170 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2171 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2172 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2173 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2177 @node Subscription Commands
2178 @section Subscription Commands
2179 @cindex subscription
2187 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2188 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2189 Toggle subscription to the current group
2190 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2196 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2197 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2198 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2199 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2205 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2206 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2207 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2213 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2214 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2217 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2218 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2219 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2220 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2221 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2227 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2228 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2232 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2233 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2236 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2237 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2238 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2239 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2240 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2241 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2242 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2243 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2244 @file{.newsrc} file.
2248 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2258 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2259 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2260 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2261 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2262 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2263 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2268 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2269 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2270 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2275 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2276 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2278 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2279 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2280 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2281 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2282 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2283 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2290 @section Group Levels
2294 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2295 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2296 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2297 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2298 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2300 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2306 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2307 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2308 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2309 prompted for a level.
2312 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2313 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2314 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2315 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2316 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2317 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2318 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2319 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2320 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2321 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2322 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2323 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2324 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2325 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2326 reasons of efficiency.
2328 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2329 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2331 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2332 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2333 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2334 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2335 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2336 groups are hidden, in a way.
2338 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2339 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2340 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2341 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2342 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2343 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2345 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2346 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2347 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2348 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2349 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2350 list of killed groups.)
2352 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2353 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2354 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2356 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2357 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2358 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2359 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2360 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2361 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2362 relevant valid ranges.
2364 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2365 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2366 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2367 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2368 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2369 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2372 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2373 one with the best level.
2375 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2376 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2377 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2380 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2381 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2382 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2383 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2386 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2387 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2388 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2389 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2391 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2392 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2393 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2394 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2395 to 5. The default is 6.
2399 @section Group Score
2404 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2405 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2406 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2409 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2410 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2411 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2412 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2413 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2414 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2415 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2416 least significant part.))
2418 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2419 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2420 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2421 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2422 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2423 action after each summary exit, you can add
2424 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2425 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2426 slow things down somewhat.
2429 @node Marking Groups
2430 @section Marking Groups
2431 @cindex marking groups
2433 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2434 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2435 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2436 bidding on those groups.
2438 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2439 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2440 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2448 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2449 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2455 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2456 Remove the mark from the current group
2457 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2461 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2462 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2466 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2467 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2471 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2472 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2476 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2477 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2478 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2481 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2483 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2484 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2485 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2486 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2487 the command to be executed.
2490 @node Foreign Groups
2491 @section Foreign Groups
2492 @cindex foreign groups
2494 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2495 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2496 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2497 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2504 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2505 @cindex making groups
2506 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2507 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2508 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2512 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2513 @cindex renaming groups
2514 Rename the current group to something else
2515 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2516 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2522 @findex gnus-group-customize
2523 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2527 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2528 @cindex renaming groups
2529 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2530 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2534 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2535 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2536 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2540 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2541 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2542 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2546 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2548 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2549 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2554 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2555 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2559 @cindex (ding) archive
2560 @cindex archive group
2561 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2562 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2563 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2564 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2565 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2566 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2567 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2571 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2573 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2574 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2575 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2576 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2580 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2582 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2583 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2584 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2588 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2589 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2591 Make a group based on some file or other
2592 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2593 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2594 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2595 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2596 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2597 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2598 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2599 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2600 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2604 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2605 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2606 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2607 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2611 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2615 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2616 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2617 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2618 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2619 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2620 @xref{Web Searches}.
2622 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2623 to a particular group by using a match string like
2624 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2627 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2628 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2629 This function will delete the current group
2630 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2631 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2632 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2633 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2634 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2638 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2639 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2640 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2644 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2645 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2646 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2649 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2652 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2653 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2654 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2655 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2656 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2657 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2661 @node Group Parameters
2662 @section Group Parameters
2663 @cindex group parameters
2665 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2666 Here's an example group parameter list:
2669 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2673 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2674 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2675 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2676 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2678 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2679 is an alist of regexps and values.
2681 The following group parameters can be used:
2686 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2689 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2692 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2693 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2694 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2695 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2696 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2698 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2699 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2700 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2701 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2702 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2703 list address instead.
2705 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2709 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2712 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2715 It is totally ignored
2716 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2717 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2719 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2720 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2721 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2722 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2723 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2725 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2726 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2727 sending the message.
2729 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2730 @cindex mail list groups
2731 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2732 entering summary buffer.
2734 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2739 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2740 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2741 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2742 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2743 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{Mailing
2744 Lists, , Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual} for a complete
2745 treatment of available MFT support.
2747 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2748 directly uses this group parameter.
2752 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2753 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2754 of whether it has any unread articles.
2756 @item broken-reply-to
2757 @cindex broken-reply-to
2758 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2759 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2760 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2761 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2762 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2763 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2767 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2768 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2772 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2773 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2774 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2779 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2780 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2781 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2782 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2783 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2784 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2785 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2786 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2787 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2791 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2792 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2793 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2795 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2798 @cindex total-expire
2799 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2800 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2801 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2802 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2805 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2809 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2810 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2811 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2812 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2813 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2814 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2815 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2818 @cindex score file group parameter
2819 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2820 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2821 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2824 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2825 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2826 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2827 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2830 @cindex admin-address
2831 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2832 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2833 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2834 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2838 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2839 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2843 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2846 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2847 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2850 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2854 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2856 Here are some examples:
2860 Display only unread articles.
2863 Display everything except expirable articles.
2865 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2866 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2870 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2871 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2872 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2873 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2874 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2878 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2879 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2880 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2884 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2885 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2886 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2890 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2891 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2892 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2894 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2896 @item ignored-charsets
2897 @cindex ignored-charset
2898 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2899 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2900 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2902 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2905 @cindex posting-style
2906 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2907 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2908 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2909 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2910 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2912 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2913 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2914 like this in the group parameters:
2919 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2920 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2925 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2926 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2930 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
2931 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
2932 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2933 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2934 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2938 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2939 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2940 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2941 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2943 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2944 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2945 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2946 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2949 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2950 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2954 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2957 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2958 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2959 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2960 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2961 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2962 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2963 @code{eval}ed there.
2965 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
2966 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
2967 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
2968 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
2969 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
2970 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
2971 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
2972 @file{~/.gnus} file:
2974 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
2977 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2978 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2979 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2981 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
2983 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
2984 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
2985 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
2986 into the group parameters for the group.
2988 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2989 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2990 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2991 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2992 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2996 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2997 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2998 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2999 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3000 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3002 @vindex gnus-parameters
3003 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3004 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
3008 (setq gnus-parameters
3010 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3011 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3012 (gnus-summary-line-format
3013 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3017 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3021 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3025 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3028 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3029 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3032 @node Listing Groups
3033 @section Listing Groups
3034 @cindex group listing
3036 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3044 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3045 List all groups that have unread articles
3046 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3047 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3048 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3049 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3056 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3057 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3058 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3059 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3060 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3061 unsubscribed groups).
3065 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3066 List all unread groups on a specific level
3067 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3068 with no unread articles.
3072 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3073 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3074 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3075 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3080 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3081 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3085 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3086 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3087 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3091 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3092 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3096 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3097 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3098 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3099 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3100 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3101 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3102 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3103 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3107 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3108 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3109 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3113 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3114 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3115 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3119 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3120 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3124 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3125 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3129 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3130 List groups limited within the current selection
3131 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3135 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3136 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3140 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3141 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3145 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3146 @cindex visible group parameter
3147 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3148 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3149 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3150 get the same effect.
3152 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3153 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3154 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3155 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3156 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3159 @node Sorting Groups
3160 @section Sorting Groups
3161 @cindex sorting groups
3163 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3164 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3165 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3166 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3167 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3168 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3173 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3174 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3175 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3177 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3178 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3179 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3181 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3182 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3183 Sort by group level.
3185 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3186 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3187 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3189 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3190 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3191 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3192 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3194 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3195 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3196 Sort by number of unread articles.
3198 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3199 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3200 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3202 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3203 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3204 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3209 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3210 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3214 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3215 some sorting criteria:
3219 @kindex G S a (Group)
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3221 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3222 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3225 @kindex G S u (Group)
3226 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3227 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3228 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3231 @kindex G S l (Group)
3232 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3233 Sort the group buffer by group level
3234 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3237 @kindex G S v (Group)
3238 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3239 Sort the group buffer by group score
3240 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3243 @kindex G S r (Group)
3244 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3245 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3246 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3249 @kindex G S m (Group)
3250 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3251 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3252 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3255 @kindex G S n (Group)
3256 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3257 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3258 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3262 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3263 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3265 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3266 commands will sort in reverse order.
3268 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3272 @kindex G P a (Group)
3273 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3274 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3275 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3278 @kindex G P u (Group)
3279 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3280 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3281 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3284 @kindex G P l (Group)
3285 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3286 Sort the groups by group level
3287 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3290 @kindex G P v (Group)
3291 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3292 Sort the groups by group score
3293 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3296 @kindex G P r (Group)
3297 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3298 Sort the groups by group rank
3299 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3302 @kindex G P m (Group)
3303 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3304 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3305 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3308 @kindex G P n (Group)
3309 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3310 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3311 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3314 @kindex G P s (Group)
3315 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3316 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3320 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3324 @node Group Maintenance
3325 @section Group Maintenance
3326 @cindex bogus groups
3331 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3332 Find bogus groups and delete them
3333 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3337 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3338 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3339 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3340 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3341 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3345 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3346 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3347 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3348 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3349 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3350 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3353 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3354 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3355 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3356 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3361 @node Browse Foreign Server
3362 @section Browse Foreign Server
3363 @cindex foreign servers
3364 @cindex browsing servers
3369 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3370 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3371 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3372 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3375 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3376 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3377 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3378 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3380 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3385 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3386 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3390 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3391 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3394 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3395 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3396 Enter the current group and display the first article
3397 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3400 @kindex RET (Browse)
3401 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3402 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3406 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3407 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3408 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3414 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3415 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3419 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3420 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3424 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3425 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3426 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3431 @section Exiting Gnus
3432 @cindex exiting Gnus
3434 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3439 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3440 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3441 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3442 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3446 @findex gnus-group-exit
3447 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3448 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3452 @findex gnus-group-quit
3453 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3454 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3457 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3458 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3459 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3460 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3461 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3462 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3468 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3469 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3470 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3476 @section Group Topics
3479 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3480 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3481 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3482 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3483 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3484 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3488 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3489 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3500 2: alt.religion.emacs
3503 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3505 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3506 13: comp.sources.unix
3509 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3511 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3512 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3513 is a toggling command.)
3515 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3516 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3517 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3518 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3521 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3522 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3523 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3526 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3530 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3531 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3532 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3533 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3534 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3538 @node Topic Commands
3539 @subsection Topic Commands
3540 @cindex topic commands
3542 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3543 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3544 definitions slightly.
3546 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3547 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3548 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3549 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3550 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3551 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3553 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3560 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3561 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3562 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3566 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3568 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3569 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3570 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3571 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3574 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3575 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3576 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3577 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3581 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3582 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3583 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3584 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3590 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3591 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3592 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3596 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3597 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3598 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3601 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3602 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3603 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3604 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3605 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3607 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3608 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3612 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3613 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3620 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3622 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3623 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3624 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3625 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3626 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3627 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3631 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3637 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3638 Move the current group to some other topic
3639 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3640 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3644 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3645 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3649 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3650 Copy the current group to some other topic
3651 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3652 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3656 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3657 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3658 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3662 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3663 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3664 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3668 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3669 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3670 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3671 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3672 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3673 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3674 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3677 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3678 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3682 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3683 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3684 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3688 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3689 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3690 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3694 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3695 Toggle hiding empty topics
3696 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3700 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3701 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3702 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3703 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3706 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3707 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3708 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3709 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3710 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3713 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3714 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3715 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3716 expiry process (if any)
3717 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3721 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3722 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3725 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3726 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3727 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3731 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3732 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3733 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3736 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3737 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3738 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3741 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3742 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3743 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3747 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3748 @cindex group parameters
3749 @cindex topic parameters
3751 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3752 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3757 @node Topic Variables
3758 @subsection Topic Variables
3759 @cindex topic variables
3761 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3762 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3764 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3765 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3766 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3779 Number of groups in the topic.
3781 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3783 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3786 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3787 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3788 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3791 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3792 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3794 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3795 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3796 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3800 @subsection Topic Sorting
3801 @cindex topic sorting
3803 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3809 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3810 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3811 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3815 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3816 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3817 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3821 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3822 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3823 Sort the current topic by group level
3824 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3827 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3828 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3829 Sort the current topic by group score
3830 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3833 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3834 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3835 Sort the current topic by group rank
3836 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3839 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3840 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3841 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3842 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3845 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3846 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3847 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3848 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3852 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3853 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3854 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3855 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3859 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3860 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3864 @node Topic Topology
3865 @subsection Topic Topology
3866 @cindex topic topology
3869 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3876 2: alt.religion.emacs
3879 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3881 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3882 13: comp.sources.unix
3886 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3887 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3888 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3893 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3894 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3898 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3899 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3900 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3901 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3902 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3903 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3905 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3906 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3907 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3910 @node Topic Parameters
3911 @subsection Topic Parameters
3912 @cindex topic parameters
3914 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3915 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3916 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3918 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3923 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3924 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3925 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3928 @item subscribe-level
3929 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3930 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3931 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3935 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3936 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3937 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3938 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3944 2: alt.religion.emacs
3948 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3950 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3951 13: comp.sources.unix
3955 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3956 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3957 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3958 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3959 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3960 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3962 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3963 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3964 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3965 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3966 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3968 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3969 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3970 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3971 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3972 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3973 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3974 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3975 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3978 @node Misc Group Stuff
3979 @section Misc Group Stuff
3982 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3983 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3984 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3985 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3986 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3993 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3994 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3995 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3999 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4000 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4001 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4002 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4003 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4004 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4005 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4009 @findex gnus-group-mail
4010 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4011 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4012 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4013 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4017 @findex gnus-group-news
4018 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4019 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4020 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4022 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4023 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4024 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4025 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4026 for this to work though.
4030 Variables for the group buffer:
4034 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4035 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4036 is called after the group buffer has been
4039 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4040 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4041 is called after the group buffer is
4042 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4045 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4046 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4047 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4048 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4050 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4051 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4052 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4053 whether they are empty or not.
4055 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4056 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4057 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4058 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4062 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4063 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4066 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4067 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4068 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4069 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4070 is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
4071 utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
4072 default is @code{nil}.
4076 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4077 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4082 @node Scanning New Messages
4083 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4084 @cindex new messages
4085 @cindex scanning new news
4091 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4092 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4093 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4094 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4095 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4096 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4101 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4102 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4103 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4104 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4105 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4106 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4107 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4109 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4110 @cindex activating groups
4112 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4113 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4118 @findex gnus-group-restart
4119 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4120 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4121 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4125 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4126 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4128 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4129 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4133 @node Group Information
4134 @subsection Group Information
4135 @cindex group information
4136 @cindex information on groups
4143 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4144 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4147 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4148 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4149 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4150 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4151 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4152 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4153 used for fetching the file.
4155 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4156 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4160 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4161 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4163 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4164 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4167 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4168 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4169 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4173 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4174 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4175 @cindex control message
4176 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4177 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4178 group if given a prefix argument.
4180 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4181 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4182 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4183 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4185 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4186 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4187 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4191 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4193 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4194 @cindex describing groups
4195 @cindex group description
4196 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4197 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4198 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4202 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4203 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4204 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4211 @findex gnus-version
4212 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4216 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4217 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4220 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4223 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4224 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4228 @node Group Timestamp
4229 @subsection Group Timestamp
4231 @cindex group timestamps
4233 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4234 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4235 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4238 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4241 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4243 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4244 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4247 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4248 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4251 This will result in lines looking like:
4254 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4255 0: custom 19961002T012713
4258 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4259 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4263 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4264 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4267 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4268 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4272 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4273 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4274 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4275 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4277 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4283 @subsection File Commands
4284 @cindex file commands
4290 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4291 @vindex gnus-init-file
4292 @cindex reading init file
4293 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4294 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4298 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4299 @cindex saving .newsrc
4300 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4301 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4302 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4305 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4306 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4307 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4312 @node Sieve Commands
4313 @subsection Sieve Commands
4314 @cindex group sieve commands
4316 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4317 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4318 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4319 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4320 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4322 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4323 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4324 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4325 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4326 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4327 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4328 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4329 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4330 regenerate the Sieve script.
4332 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4333 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4334 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4335 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4336 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4337 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4338 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4339 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4340 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4341 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4344 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4345 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4350 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4356 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4357 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4358 @cindex generating sieve script
4359 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4360 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4364 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4365 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4366 @cindex updating sieve script
4367 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4368 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4369 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4374 @node Summary Buffer
4375 @chapter Summary Buffer
4376 @cindex summary buffer
4378 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4379 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4381 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4382 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4384 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4387 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4388 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4389 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4390 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4391 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4392 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4393 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4394 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4395 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4396 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4397 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4398 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4399 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4400 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4401 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4402 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4403 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4404 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4405 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4406 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4407 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4408 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4409 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4410 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4411 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4412 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4413 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4414 or reselecting the current group.
4415 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4416 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4417 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4418 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4422 @node Summary Buffer Format
4423 @section Summary Buffer Format
4424 @cindex summary buffer format
4428 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4429 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4430 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4436 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4437 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4438 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4439 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4442 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4443 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4444 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4445 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4446 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4447 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4448 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4449 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4450 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4451 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4452 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4455 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4456 'mail-extract-address-components)
4459 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4460 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4461 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4462 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4465 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4466 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4468 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4469 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4470 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4471 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4472 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4474 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4475 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4476 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4477 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4478 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4479 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4481 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4483 The following format specification characters and extended format
4484 specification(s) are understood:
4490 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4491 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4493 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4494 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4495 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4497 Full @code{From} header.
4499 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4501 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4504 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4505 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4506 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4507 may be more thorough.
4509 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4512 Number of lines in the article.
4514 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4515 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4517 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4518 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4520 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4522 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4523 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4536 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4537 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4538 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4539 line-drawing glyphs.
4541 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4542 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4543 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4544 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4546 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4547 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4548 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4549 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4551 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4552 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4553 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4554 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4556 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4557 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4558 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4560 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4561 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4562 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4564 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4565 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4566 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4568 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4569 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4570 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4575 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4576 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4578 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4579 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4581 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4582 for adopted articles.
4584 One space for each thread level.
4586 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4588 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4591 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4592 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4593 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4596 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4598 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4599 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4600 default level. If the difference between
4601 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4602 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4610 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4612 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4618 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4619 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4621 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4622 article has any children.
4628 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4629 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4631 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4632 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4633 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4634 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4635 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4636 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4639 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4640 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4641 There can only be one such area.
4643 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4644 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4645 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4646 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4647 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4648 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4650 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4651 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4653 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4656 @node To From Newsgroups
4657 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4661 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4662 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4663 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4664 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4665 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4669 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4670 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4671 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4675 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4676 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4679 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4680 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4683 @findex gnus-extra-header
4684 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4685 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4686 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4689 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4693 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4694 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4695 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4696 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4697 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4698 headers are used instead.
4702 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4703 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4704 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
4705 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4706 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4707 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4710 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4711 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4712 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4713 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4715 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4719 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4721 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4722 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4723 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4724 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4728 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4731 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4732 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4735 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4736 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4737 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4743 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4744 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4747 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4748 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4750 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4751 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4752 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4753 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4755 Here are the elements you can play with:
4761 Unprefixed group name.
4763 Current article number.
4765 Current article score.
4769 Number of unread articles in this group.
4771 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4774 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4775 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4776 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4777 and no unselected ones.
4779 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4780 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4782 Subject of the current article.
4784 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4786 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4788 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4790 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4792 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4794 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4798 @node Summary Highlighting
4799 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4803 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4804 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4805 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4806 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4807 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4809 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4810 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4811 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4812 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4814 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4815 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4816 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4817 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4819 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4820 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4821 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4822 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4823 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4824 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4827 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4828 ((> score default) . bold))
4830 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4831 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4835 @node Summary Maneuvering
4836 @section Summary Maneuvering
4837 @cindex summary movement
4839 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4840 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4842 None of these commands select articles.
4847 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4848 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4849 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4850 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4851 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4855 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4856 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4857 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4858 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4859 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4862 @kindex G g (Summary)
4863 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4864 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4865 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4868 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4869 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4870 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4871 to the group buffer.
4873 Variables related to summary movement:
4877 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4878 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4879 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4880 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4881 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4882 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4883 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4884 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4885 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4886 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4887 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4888 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4889 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4890 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4892 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4893 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4894 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4895 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4896 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4897 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4898 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4900 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4902 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4903 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4904 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4905 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4906 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4908 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4909 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4910 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4911 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4912 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4913 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4914 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4915 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4918 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4919 the given number of lines from the top.
4924 @node Choosing Articles
4925 @section Choosing Articles
4926 @cindex selecting articles
4929 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4930 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4934 @node Choosing Commands
4935 @subsection Choosing Commands
4937 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4938 and they all select and display an article.
4940 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4941 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4945 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4946 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4947 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4948 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4950 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4951 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4952 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4957 @kindex G n (Summary)
4958 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4959 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4960 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4965 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4966 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4967 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4972 @kindex G N (Summary)
4973 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4974 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4979 @kindex G P (Summary)
4980 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4981 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4984 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4986 Go to the next article with the same subject
4987 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4990 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4991 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4992 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4993 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4997 @kindex G f (Summary)
4999 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5000 Go to the first unread article
5001 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5005 @kindex G b (Summary)
5007 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5008 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5009 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5010 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5015 @kindex G l (Summary)
5016 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5017 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5020 @kindex G o (Summary)
5021 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5023 @cindex article history
5024 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5025 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5026 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5027 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5028 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5029 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5034 @kindex G j (Summary)
5035 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5036 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5037 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5042 @node Choosing Variables
5043 @subsection Choosing Variables
5045 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5048 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5049 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5050 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5051 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5052 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5053 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5055 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5056 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5057 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5058 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5059 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5060 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5062 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5063 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5064 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5065 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5066 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5067 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5068 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5069 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5070 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5071 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5072 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5073 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5074 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5075 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5080 @node Paging the Article
5081 @section Scrolling the Article
5082 @cindex article scrolling
5087 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5088 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5089 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5090 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5091 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5093 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5094 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5095 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5096 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5097 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5098 what is considered uninteresting with
5099 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5100 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5103 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5104 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5105 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5108 @kindex RET (Summary)
5109 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5110 Scroll the current article one line forward
5111 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5114 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5115 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5116 Scroll the current article one line backward
5117 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5121 @kindex A g (Summary)
5123 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5124 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5125 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5126 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5127 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5128 the way it came from the server.
5130 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5131 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5132 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5135 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5140 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5145 @kindex A < (Summary)
5146 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5147 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5148 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5153 @kindex A > (Summary)
5154 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5155 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5159 @kindex A s (Summary)
5161 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5162 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5163 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5167 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5168 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5173 @node Reply Followup and Post
5174 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5177 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5178 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5179 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5180 * Canceling and Superseding::
5184 @node Summary Mail Commands
5185 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5187 @cindex composing mail
5189 Commands for composing a mail message:
5195 @kindex S r (Summary)
5197 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5198 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5199 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5200 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5201 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5206 @kindex S R (Summary)
5207 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5208 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5209 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5210 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5211 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5214 @kindex S w (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5216 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5217 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5218 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5219 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5222 @kindex S W (Summary)
5223 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5224 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5225 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5226 the process/prefix convention.
5229 @kindex S v (Summary)
5230 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5231 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5232 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5233 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5234 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5235 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5238 @kindex S V (Summary)
5239 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5240 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5241 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5242 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5245 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5246 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5247 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5248 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5249 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5250 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5251 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5252 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5255 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5256 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5257 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5258 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5259 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5263 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5264 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5265 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5266 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5267 Forward the current article to some other person
5268 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5269 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5270 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5271 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5272 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5273 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5274 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5275 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5276 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5282 @kindex S m (Summary)
5283 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5284 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5285 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5286 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5287 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5292 @kindex S i (Summary)
5293 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5294 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5295 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5296 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5298 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5299 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5300 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5301 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5302 for this to work though.
5305 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5306 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5307 @cindex bouncing mail
5308 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5309 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5310 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5311 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5312 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5313 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5314 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5315 very well fail, though.
5318 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5320 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5321 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5322 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5323 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5324 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5325 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5326 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5327 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5329 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5330 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5331 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5332 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5333 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5335 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5336 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5339 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5341 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5342 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5343 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5346 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5347 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5348 @cindex crossposting
5349 @cindex excessive crossposting
5350 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5351 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5353 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5354 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5355 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5356 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5357 command understands the process/prefix convention
5358 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5362 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5363 Manual}, for more information.
5366 @node Summary Post Commands
5367 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5369 @cindex composing news
5371 Commands for posting a news article:
5377 @kindex S p (Summary)
5378 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5379 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5380 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5381 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5382 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5387 @kindex S f (Summary)
5388 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5389 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5390 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5394 @kindex S F (Summary)
5396 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5397 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5398 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5399 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5400 process/prefix convention.
5403 @kindex S n (Summary)
5404 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5405 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5406 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5409 @kindex S N (Summary)
5410 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5411 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5412 message through mail and include the original message
5413 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5414 the process/prefix convention.
5417 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5418 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5419 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5420 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5421 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5422 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5423 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5424 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5425 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5426 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5427 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5428 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5429 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5432 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5433 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5435 @cindex making digests
5436 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5437 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5438 process/prefix convention.
5441 @kindex S u (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5443 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5444 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5445 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5448 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5449 Manual}, for more information.
5452 @node Summary Message Commands
5453 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5457 @kindex S y (Summary)
5458 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5459 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5460 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5461 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5462 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5467 @node Canceling and Superseding
5468 @subsection Canceling Articles
5469 @cindex canceling articles
5470 @cindex superseding articles
5472 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5473 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5475 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5477 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5479 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5480 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5481 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5482 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5483 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5484 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5486 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5487 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5490 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5491 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5492 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5494 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5495 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5496 your original article.
5498 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5500 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5501 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5502 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5505 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5506 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5507 have posted almost the same article twice.
5509 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5510 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5511 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5512 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5513 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5514 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5515 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5516 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5517 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5518 canceled/superseded.
5520 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5522 @node Delayed Articles
5523 @section Delayed Articles
5524 @cindex delayed sending
5525 @cindex send delayed
5527 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5528 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5529 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5530 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5533 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5536 @findex gnus-delay-article
5537 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5538 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5539 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5540 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5544 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5545 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5546 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5547 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5550 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5551 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5552 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5555 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5556 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5557 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5558 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5559 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5560 that means a time tomorrow.
5563 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5564 couple of variables:
5567 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5568 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5569 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5570 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5572 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5573 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5574 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5575 formats described above.
5577 @item gnus-delay-group
5578 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5579 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5580 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5581 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5583 @item gnus-delay-header
5584 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5585 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5586 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5587 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5590 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5591 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5592 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5593 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5594 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5596 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5597 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5598 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5599 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5600 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5601 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5602 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5605 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5606 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5607 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5608 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5609 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5610 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5611 argument is ignored.
5613 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5614 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5615 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5619 @node Marking Articles
5620 @section Marking Articles
5621 @cindex article marking
5622 @cindex article ticking
5625 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5627 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5628 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5629 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5631 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5634 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5635 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5636 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5640 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5644 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5645 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5646 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5650 @node Unread Articles
5651 @subsection Unread Articles
5653 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5658 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5659 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5661 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5662 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5663 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5664 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5665 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5666 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5667 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5670 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5671 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5673 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5674 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5675 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5676 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5680 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5681 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5683 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5688 @subsection Read Articles
5689 @cindex expirable mark
5691 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5696 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5697 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5698 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5701 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5702 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5705 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5706 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5707 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5710 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5711 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5714 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5715 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5718 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5719 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5722 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5723 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5726 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5727 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5730 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5731 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5734 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5735 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5739 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5740 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5741 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5745 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5746 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5748 One more special mark, though:
5752 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5753 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5755 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5756 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5757 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5758 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5764 @subsection Other Marks
5765 @cindex process mark
5768 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5774 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5775 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5776 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5777 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5778 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5781 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5782 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5783 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5784 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5787 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5788 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5789 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5792 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5793 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5794 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5797 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5798 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5799 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5800 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5803 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5804 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5805 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5806 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5807 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5808 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5811 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5812 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5813 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5814 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5817 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5818 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5819 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5820 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5821 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5825 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5826 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5827 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5828 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5829 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5830 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5833 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5834 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5835 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5836 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5837 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5838 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5842 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5843 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5844 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5845 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5846 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5849 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5850 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5851 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5852 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5853 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5854 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5858 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5859 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5860 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5862 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5863 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5864 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5868 @subsection Setting Marks
5869 @cindex setting marks
5871 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5876 @kindex M c (Summary)
5877 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5878 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5879 @cindex mark as unread
5880 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5881 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5887 @kindex M t (Summary)
5888 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5889 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5890 @xref{Article Caching}.
5895 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5896 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5897 Mark the current article as dormant
5898 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5902 @kindex M d (Summary)
5904 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5905 Mark the current article as read
5906 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5910 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5911 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5912 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5917 @kindex M k (Summary)
5918 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5919 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5920 and then select the next unread article
5921 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5925 @kindex M K (Summary)
5926 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5927 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5928 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5929 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5932 @kindex M C (Summary)
5933 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5934 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5935 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5938 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5939 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5940 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5941 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5944 @kindex M H (Summary)
5945 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5946 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5947 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5950 @kindex M h (Summary)
5951 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5952 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5953 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5956 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5957 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5958 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5959 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5962 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5963 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5964 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5965 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5969 @kindex M e (Summary)
5971 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5972 Mark the current article as expirable
5973 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5976 @kindex M b (Summary)
5977 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5978 Set a bookmark in the current article
5979 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5982 @kindex M B (Summary)
5983 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5984 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5985 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5988 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5989 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5990 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5991 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5994 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5996 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5997 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6000 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6001 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6002 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6003 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6004 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6007 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6008 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6009 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6010 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6011 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6012 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6013 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6014 The default is @code{t}.
6017 @node Generic Marking Commands
6018 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6020 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6021 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6022 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6023 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6024 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6027 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6028 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6031 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6032 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6033 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6034 to list in this manual.
6036 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6037 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6038 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6039 article, you could say something like:
6043 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6044 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6045 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6053 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6054 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6058 @node Setting Process Marks
6059 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6060 @cindex setting process marks
6062 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6063 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6064 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6065 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6066 commands into the cache. For more information,
6067 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6074 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6076 Mark the current article with the process mark
6077 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6078 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6082 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6083 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6084 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6085 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6088 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6090 Remove the process mark from all articles
6091 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6094 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6095 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6096 Invert the list of process marked articles
6097 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6100 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6101 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6102 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6103 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6106 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6107 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6108 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6109 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6112 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6113 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6114 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6118 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6119 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6122 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6124 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6125 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6128 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6129 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6130 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6131 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6134 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6135 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6136 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6137 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6140 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6141 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6142 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6145 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6147 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6148 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6151 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6152 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6153 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6156 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6158 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6159 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6162 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6163 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6164 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6165 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6168 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6169 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6170 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6171 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6174 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6175 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6176 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6177 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6181 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6182 set process marks based on article body contents.
6189 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6190 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6191 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6194 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6195 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6196 additional articles.
6202 @kindex / / (Summary)
6203 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6204 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6205 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6209 @kindex / a (Summary)
6210 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6211 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6212 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6216 @kindex / x (Summary)
6217 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6218 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6219 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6220 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6225 @kindex / u (Summary)
6227 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6228 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6229 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6230 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6231 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6234 @kindex / m (Summary)
6235 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6236 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6237 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6240 @kindex / t (Summary)
6241 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6242 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6243 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6244 articles younger than that number of days.
6247 @kindex / n (Summary)
6248 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6249 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6250 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6251 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6254 @kindex / w (Summary)
6255 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6256 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6257 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6261 @kindex / . (Summary)
6262 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6263 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6264 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6267 @kindex / v (Summary)
6268 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6269 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6270 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6273 @kindex / p (Summary)
6274 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6275 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6276 group parameter predicate
6277 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6278 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6282 @kindex M S (Summary)
6283 @kindex / E (Summary)
6284 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6285 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6286 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6289 @kindex / D (Summary)
6290 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6291 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6292 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6295 @kindex / * (Summary)
6296 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6297 Include all cached articles in the limit
6298 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6301 @kindex / d (Summary)
6302 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6303 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6304 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6307 @kindex / M (Summary)
6308 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6309 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6312 @kindex / T (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6314 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6317 @kindex / c (Summary)
6318 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6319 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6320 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6323 @kindex / C (Summary)
6324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6325 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6326 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6327 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6330 @kindex / N (Summary)
6331 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6332 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6333 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6336 @kindex / o (Summary)
6337 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6338 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6339 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6347 @cindex article threading
6349 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6350 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6351 hierarchical fashion.
6353 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6354 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6355 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6356 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6357 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6358 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6359 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6361 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6365 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6368 A tree-like article structure.
6371 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6374 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6375 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6376 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6377 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6378 called loose threads.
6380 @item thread gathering
6381 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6383 @item sparse threads
6384 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6385 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6391 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6392 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6396 @node Customizing Threading
6397 @subsection Customizing Threading
6398 @cindex customizing threading
6401 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6402 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6403 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6404 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6409 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6412 @cindex loose threads
6415 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6416 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6417 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6418 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6419 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6420 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6422 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6423 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6424 There are four possible values:
6428 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6429 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6430 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6431 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6432 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6437 @cindex adopting articles
6442 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6443 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6444 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6445 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6448 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6449 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6450 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6451 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6452 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6453 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6454 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6455 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6456 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6457 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6460 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6461 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6462 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6466 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6467 display them after one another.
6470 Don't gather loose threads.
6473 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6474 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6475 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6476 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6477 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6478 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6479 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6480 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6481 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6482 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6483 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6485 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6486 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6487 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6490 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6491 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6492 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6493 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6494 simplification is used.
6496 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6497 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6498 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6499 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6501 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6503 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6509 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6510 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6511 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6512 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6517 (mapconcat 'identity
6518 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6520 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6523 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6526 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6527 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6528 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6529 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6530 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6531 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6533 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6536 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6537 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6538 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6540 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6541 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6544 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6545 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6546 Remove excessive whitespace.
6548 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6549 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6550 Remove all whitespace.
6553 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6556 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6557 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6558 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6559 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6560 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6561 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6562 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6563 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6565 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6566 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6567 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6568 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6569 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6570 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6571 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6572 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6573 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6577 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6578 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6579 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6580 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6582 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6583 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6584 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6587 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6591 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6592 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6598 @node Filling In Threads
6599 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6602 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6603 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6604 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6605 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6606 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6607 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6608 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6609 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6610 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6611 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6612 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6613 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6616 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6617 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6618 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6620 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6621 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
6622 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
6625 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6626 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6627 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6628 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6629 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6630 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6631 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6632 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6633 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6634 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6635 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6636 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6637 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6638 @code{nil} by default.
6640 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6641 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6642 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6643 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6644 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6645 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6646 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6648 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6649 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6650 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6655 @node More Threading
6656 @subsubsection More Threading
6659 @item gnus-show-threads
6660 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6661 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6662 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6663 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6664 slower and more awkward.
6666 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6667 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6668 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6671 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6672 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6673 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
6678 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6679 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6680 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6683 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6684 unread, but you get my drift.)
6687 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6688 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6689 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6690 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6691 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6692 threads are expunged.
6694 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6695 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6696 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6699 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6700 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6701 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6702 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6703 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6704 result in a new thread.
6706 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6707 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6708 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6711 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6712 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6713 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6714 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6715 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6716 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6717 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6718 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6719 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6720 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6721 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6726 @node Low-Level Threading
6727 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6731 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6732 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6733 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6735 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6736 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6737 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6738 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6739 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6740 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6741 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6742 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6743 meaningful. Here's one example:
6746 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6748 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6749 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6751 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6753 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6760 @node Thread Commands
6761 @subsection Thread Commands
6762 @cindex thread commands
6768 @kindex T k (Summary)
6769 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6770 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6771 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6772 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6773 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6778 @kindex T l (Summary)
6779 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6780 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6781 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6782 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6785 @kindex T i (Summary)
6786 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6787 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6788 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6791 @kindex T # (Summary)
6792 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6793 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6794 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6797 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6798 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6799 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6800 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6803 @kindex T T (Summary)
6804 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6805 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6808 @kindex T s (Summary)
6809 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6810 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
6811 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6814 @kindex T h (Summary)
6815 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6816 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6819 @kindex T S (Summary)
6820 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6821 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6824 @kindex T H (Summary)
6825 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6826 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6829 @kindex T t (Summary)
6830 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6831 Re-thread the current article's thread
6832 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6833 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6836 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6837 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6838 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6839 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6843 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6844 understand the numeric prefix.
6849 @kindex T n (Summary)
6851 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6853 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6854 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6855 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6858 @kindex T p (Summary)
6860 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6862 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6863 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6864 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6867 @kindex T d (Summary)
6868 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6869 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6872 @kindex T u (Summary)
6873 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6874 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6877 @kindex T o (Summary)
6878 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6879 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6882 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6883 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6884 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6885 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6886 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6887 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6888 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6889 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6890 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6891 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6892 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6893 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6897 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6898 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6900 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6901 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6902 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6903 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6904 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6905 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6906 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6907 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6908 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6909 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6910 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6911 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6912 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6914 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6915 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6916 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6917 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6918 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6919 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6920 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6921 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6923 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6924 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6925 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6927 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6928 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6929 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6930 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6931 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6932 ascending article order.
6934 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6935 by number, you could do something like:
6938 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6939 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6940 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6941 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6944 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6945 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6946 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6947 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6948 which the articles arrived.
6950 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6954 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6956 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6957 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6960 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6961 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6962 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6963 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6966 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6967 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6968 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6969 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6970 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6971 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6972 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6973 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6974 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6975 variable. It is very similar to the
6976 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6977 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6978 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6979 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6980 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6981 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6982 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6984 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6988 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6989 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6990 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6995 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6996 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6997 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6998 @cindex article pre-fetch
7001 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7002 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7003 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7004 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7005 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7007 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7008 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7010 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7011 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7012 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7013 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7014 connection is blocked.
7016 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7017 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7018 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7019 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7021 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7022 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7023 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7024 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7027 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7030 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7031 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7032 happen automatically.
7034 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7035 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7036 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7037 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7038 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7039 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7040 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7042 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7043 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7044 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7045 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7046 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7047 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7048 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7049 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7050 article data structure as the only parameter.
7052 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7053 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7056 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7057 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7058 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7059 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7062 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7065 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7066 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7067 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7069 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7070 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7071 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7072 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7076 Remove articles when they are read.
7079 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7082 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7084 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7085 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7086 @c from the next group.
7089 @node Article Caching
7090 @section Article Caching
7091 @cindex article caching
7094 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7095 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7096 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7097 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7098 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7100 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7102 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7103 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7104 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7105 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7106 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7107 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7108 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7109 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7111 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7112 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7113 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7114 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7115 as dormant, and don't worry.
7117 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7119 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7120 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7121 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7122 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7123 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7124 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7125 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7126 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7127 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7128 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7130 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7131 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7132 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7133 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7134 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7135 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7136 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7137 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7138 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7139 not then be downloaded by this command.
7141 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7142 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7143 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7144 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7145 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7146 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7148 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7149 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7150 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7151 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7152 variables, the group is not cached.
7154 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7155 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7156 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7157 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7158 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7159 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7160 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7161 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7162 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7165 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7166 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7167 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7168 where, isn't that cool?
7170 @node Persistent Articles
7171 @section Persistent Articles
7172 @cindex persistent articles
7174 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7175 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7176 useful in my opinion.
7178 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7179 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7180 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7181 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7182 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7183 the expiry going on at the news server.
7185 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7186 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7187 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7193 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7194 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7197 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7198 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7199 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7200 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7204 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7206 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7207 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7208 interested in persistent articles:
7211 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7215 @node Article Backlog
7216 @section Article Backlog
7218 @cindex article backlog
7220 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7221 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7222 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7223 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7224 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7225 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7226 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7227 increase memory usage some.
7229 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7230 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7231 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7232 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7233 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7234 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7235 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7237 The default value is 20.
7240 @node Saving Articles
7241 @section Saving Articles
7242 @cindex saving articles
7244 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7245 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7246 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7247 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7248 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7250 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7251 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7252 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7254 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7255 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7256 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7258 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7259 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7260 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7261 deleted before saving.
7267 @kindex O o (Summary)
7269 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7270 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7271 Save the current article using the default article saver
7272 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7275 @kindex O m (Summary)
7276 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7277 Save the current article in mail format
7278 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7281 @kindex O r (Summary)
7282 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7283 Save the current article in Rmail format
7284 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7287 @kindex O f (Summary)
7288 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7289 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7290 Save the current article in plain file format
7291 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7294 @kindex O F (Summary)
7295 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7296 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7297 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7300 @kindex O b (Summary)
7301 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7302 Save the current article body in plain file format
7303 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7306 @kindex O h (Summary)
7307 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7308 Save the current article in mh folder format
7309 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7312 @kindex O v (Summary)
7313 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7314 Save the current article in a VM folder
7315 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7319 @kindex O p (Summary)
7321 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7322 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7323 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7324 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7325 complete headers in the piped output.
7328 @kindex O P (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7330 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7331 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7332 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7333 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7334 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7335 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7339 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7340 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7341 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7342 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7343 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7344 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7345 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7346 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7347 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7348 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7349 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7350 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7354 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7355 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7356 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7357 functions below, or you can create your own.
7361 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7362 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7363 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7364 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7365 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7366 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7367 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7369 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7370 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7371 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7372 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7373 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7374 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7376 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7377 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7378 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7379 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7380 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7381 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7382 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7384 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7385 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7386 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7387 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7388 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7389 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7391 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7392 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7393 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7394 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7395 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7397 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7398 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7399 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7400 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7401 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7404 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7405 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7406 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7407 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7408 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7410 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7411 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7412 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7413 reader to use this setting.
7416 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7417 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7418 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7419 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7422 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7423 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7424 available functions that generate names:
7428 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7429 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7430 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7432 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7433 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7434 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7436 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7437 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7438 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7440 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7441 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7442 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7444 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7445 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7446 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7449 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7450 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7451 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7452 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7453 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7457 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7458 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7459 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7460 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7463 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7464 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7465 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7466 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7467 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7468 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7469 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7470 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7471 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7473 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7474 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7475 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7476 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7478 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7479 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7480 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7483 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7484 lots of mail groups called things like
7485 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7486 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7487 following will do just that:
7490 (defun my-save-name (group)
7491 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7492 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7494 (setq gnus-split-methods
7495 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7500 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7501 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7502 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7503 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7504 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7505 all the files in the top level directory
7506 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7507 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7508 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7509 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7511 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7512 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7513 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7514 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7515 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7518 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7522 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7523 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7524 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
7527 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7528 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7529 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7530 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7533 @node Decoding Articles
7534 @section Decoding Articles
7535 @cindex decoding articles
7537 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7538 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7541 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7542 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7543 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7544 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7545 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7546 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7550 @cindex article series
7551 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7552 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7553 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7554 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7555 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7557 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7558 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7559 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7561 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7562 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7563 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7565 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7566 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7567 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7570 @node Uuencoded Articles
7571 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7573 @cindex uuencoded articles
7578 @kindex X u (Summary)
7579 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7580 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7581 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7584 @kindex X U (Summary)
7585 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7586 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7587 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7590 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7591 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7592 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7595 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7596 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7597 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7598 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7602 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7603 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7604 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7605 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7606 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7608 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7609 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7610 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7611 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7614 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7615 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7616 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7617 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7618 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7619 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7623 @node Shell Archives
7624 @subsection Shell Archives
7626 @cindex shell archives
7627 @cindex shared articles
7629 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7630 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7631 some commands to deal with these:
7636 @kindex X s (Summary)
7637 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7638 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7641 @kindex X S (Summary)
7642 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7643 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7646 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7647 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7648 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7651 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7652 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7653 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7654 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7658 @node PostScript Files
7659 @subsection PostScript Files
7665 @kindex X p (Summary)
7666 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7667 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7670 @kindex X P (Summary)
7671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7672 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7673 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7676 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7677 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7678 View the current PostScript series
7679 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7682 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7683 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7684 View and save the current PostScript series
7685 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7690 @subsection Other Files
7694 @kindex X o (Summary)
7695 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7696 Save the current series
7697 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7700 @kindex X b (Summary)
7701 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7702 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7703 doesn't really work yet.
7707 @node Decoding Variables
7708 @subsection Decoding Variables
7710 Adjective, not verb.
7713 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7714 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7715 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7719 @node Rule Variables
7720 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7721 @cindex rule variables
7723 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7724 variables are of the form
7727 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7734 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7735 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7737 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7738 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7741 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7742 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7745 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7746 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7747 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7748 user and default view rules.
7750 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7751 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7752 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7757 @node Other Decode Variables
7758 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7761 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7763 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7764 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7765 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7766 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7767 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7771 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7772 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7775 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7776 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7777 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7780 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7781 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7782 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7783 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7784 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7787 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7788 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7789 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7791 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7792 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7793 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7794 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7795 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
7798 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7799 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7800 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7802 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7803 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7804 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7805 looking for files to display.
7807 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7808 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7809 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7812 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7813 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7814 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7817 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7818 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7819 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7822 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7823 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7824 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7827 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7828 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7829 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7830 decoded articles as unread.
7832 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7833 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7834 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7835 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7837 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7838 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7839 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7841 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7842 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7844 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7845 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
7846 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7847 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7849 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7850 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7851 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7852 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7853 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7854 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7855 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7856 simply dropped them.
7861 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7862 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7866 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7867 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7868 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7869 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7870 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7871 for you when you post the article.
7873 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7874 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7875 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7876 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7878 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7879 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7880 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7881 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7882 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7883 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7884 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7886 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7887 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7888 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7889 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7890 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7891 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7892 Default is @code{t}.
7898 @subsection Viewing Files
7899 @cindex viewing files
7900 @cindex pseudo-articles
7902 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7903 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7904 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7905 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7906 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7907 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7908 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7910 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7911 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7912 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7913 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7915 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7916 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7917 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7919 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7920 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7921 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7922 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7923 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7925 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7926 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7927 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7928 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7929 a list of parameters to that command.
7931 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7932 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7933 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7935 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7936 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7937 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7940 @node Article Treatment
7941 @section Article Treatment
7943 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7944 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7945 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7946 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7947 these articles easier.
7950 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7951 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7952 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7953 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7954 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7955 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7956 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
7957 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7958 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7959 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7960 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
7964 @node Article Highlighting
7965 @subsection Article Highlighting
7966 @cindex highlighting
7968 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7969 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7974 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7975 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7976 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7977 Do much highlighting of the current article
7978 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7979 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7982 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7983 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7984 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7985 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7986 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7987 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7988 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7989 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7990 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7991 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7992 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7993 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7996 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7997 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7998 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8000 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8003 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8005 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8006 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
8007 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8009 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8010 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8011 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8013 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8014 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8015 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8016 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8017 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8018 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8020 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8021 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8022 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8024 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8025 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8026 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8028 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8029 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8030 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8031 that it's a citation.
8033 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8034 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8035 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8037 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8038 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8039 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8041 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8042 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8043 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8044 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8050 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8051 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8052 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8053 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8054 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8055 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8056 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8057 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8062 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8065 @node Article Fontisizing
8066 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8068 @cindex article emphasis
8070 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8071 @kindex W e (Summary)
8072 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8073 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8074 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8075 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8077 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8078 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8079 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8080 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8081 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8082 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8083 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8084 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8088 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8089 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8090 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8099 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8100 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8101 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8102 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8103 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8104 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8105 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8106 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8107 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8108 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8109 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8110 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8111 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8113 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8114 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8115 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8119 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8122 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8124 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8125 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8126 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8127 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8129 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8132 @node Article Hiding
8133 @subsection Article Hiding
8134 @cindex article hiding
8136 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8137 too much cruft in most articles.
8142 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8143 @findex gnus-article-hide
8144 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8145 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8146 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8149 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8150 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8151 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8155 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8156 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8157 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8158 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8161 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8162 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8163 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8167 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8168 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8169 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8170 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8171 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8172 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8173 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8174 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8178 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8179 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8180 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8181 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8186 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8187 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8188 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8189 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8192 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8193 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8194 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8195 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8198 @cindex stripping advertisements
8199 @cindex advertisements
8200 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8201 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8202 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8203 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8204 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8205 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8206 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8207 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8208 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8209 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8212 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8213 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8214 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8218 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8219 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8220 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8221 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8222 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8223 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8224 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8225 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8226 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8227 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8228 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8231 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8232 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8238 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8239 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8240 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8241 customizing the hiding:
8245 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8246 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8247 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8248 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8249 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8250 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8251 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8256 Starting point of the hidden text.
8258 Ending point of the hidden text.
8260 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8262 Number of lines of hidden text.
8265 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8266 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8267 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8268 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8269 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8274 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8275 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8277 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8278 following two variables:
8281 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8282 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8283 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8284 50), hide the cited text.
8286 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8287 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8288 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8293 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8294 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8295 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8296 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8297 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8298 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8302 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8303 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8304 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8306 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8307 citation customization.
8309 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8313 @node Article Washing
8314 @subsection Article Washing
8316 @cindex article washing
8318 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8319 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8321 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8322 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8325 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8326 articles by default.
8331 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8332 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8336 Force redisplaying of the current article
8337 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8338 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8339 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8340 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8343 @kindex W l (Summary)
8344 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8345 Remove page breaks from the current article
8346 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8350 @kindex W r (Summary)
8351 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8352 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8353 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8354 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8355 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8356 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8358 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8359 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8360 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8361 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8364 @kindex W m (Summary)
8365 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8366 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8370 @kindex W t (Summary)
8372 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8373 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8374 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8377 @kindex W v (Summary)
8378 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8379 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8380 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8383 @kindex W o (Summary)
8384 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8385 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8388 @kindex W d (Summary)
8389 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8390 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8392 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8394 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8395 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8396 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8397 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8400 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8401 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8402 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8403 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8406 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8407 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8408 @cindex Outlook Express
8409 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8410 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8411 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8414 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8415 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8416 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8417 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8418 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8419 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8420 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8421 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8422 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8423 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8426 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8427 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8428 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8429 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8432 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8433 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8434 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8435 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8438 @kindex W w (Summary)
8439 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8440 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8442 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8446 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8447 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8448 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8451 @kindex W C (Summary)
8452 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8453 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8454 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8457 @kindex W c (Summary)
8458 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8459 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8460 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8461 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8462 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8465 @kindex W q (Summary)
8466 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8467 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8468 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8469 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8470 makes strings like @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which
8471 doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually done
8472 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8473 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8474 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8477 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8478 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8479 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8480 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8481 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8482 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8483 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8484 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8487 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8488 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8489 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8490 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8491 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8494 @kindex W u (Summary)
8495 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8496 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8497 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8498 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8499 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8502 @kindex W h (Summary)
8503 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8504 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8505 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8506 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
8508 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8510 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8511 The default is to use the function specified by
8512 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
8513 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
8514 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
8515 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8523 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
8526 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
8529 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
8532 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
8537 @kindex W b (Summary)
8538 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8539 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8540 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8543 @kindex W B (Summary)
8544 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8545 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8546 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8549 @kindex W p (Summary)
8550 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8551 Verify a signed control message
8552 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
8553 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
8554 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
8555 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8556 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
8557 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8560 @kindex W s (Summary)
8561 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8562 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
8563 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
8564 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8567 @kindex W a (Summary)
8568 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8569 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8570 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8573 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8574 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8575 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8576 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8579 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8580 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8581 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8582 lines with a single empty line.
8583 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8586 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8588 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8589 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8592 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8593 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8594 Do all the three commands above
8595 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8598 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8599 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8600 Remove all blank lines
8601 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8604 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8605 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8606 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8607 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8610 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8611 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8612 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8613 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8617 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8620 @node Article Header
8621 @subsection Article Header
8623 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8628 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8629 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8630 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8633 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8634 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8635 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8636 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8639 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8640 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8641 Fold all the message headers
8642 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8646 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8647 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8648 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8653 @node Article Buttons
8654 @subsection Article Buttons
8657 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8658 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8659 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8660 button on these references.
8662 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8663 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8664 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
8665 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
8666 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
8670 @item gnus-button-alist
8671 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8672 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8675 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8681 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8682 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8683 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8684 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8685 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
8688 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8689 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8690 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8693 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8694 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8695 avoid false matches. Often variables named
8696 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
8697 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
8699 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
8702 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8705 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8706 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8710 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8713 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8716 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8717 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8718 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8719 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8720 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8723 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
8726 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8729 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
8732 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
8733 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
8735 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
8737 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8738 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8739 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8740 default values of the variables above.
8742 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
8744 @item gnus-button-man-handler
8745 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8746 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
8747 argument with a string naming the man page.
8749 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
8751 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8752 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
8753 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
8755 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8756 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
8757 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
8758 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
8759 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
8760 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
8761 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
8762 @code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
8763 function will be called with the string as it's only argument. The
8764 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
8765 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
8766 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8768 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8769 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
8770 Function that guesses whether it's argument is a message ID or a mail
8771 address. Returns @code{mid} it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if it's a
8772 mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the string is
8775 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8776 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
8777 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
8778 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
8780 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
8782 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
8783 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
8784 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
8785 argument, the string naming the URL.
8788 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
8789 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
8790 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
8794 @item gnus-article-button-face
8795 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8796 Face used on buttons.
8798 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8799 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8800 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8804 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8807 @node Article Button Levels
8808 @subsection Article button levels
8809 @cindex button levels
8810 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
8811 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
8812 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
8813 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
8814 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
8815 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
8816 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
8817 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
8820 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
8821 (setq gnus-parameters
8822 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
8823 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
8824 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
8829 @item gnus-button-browse-level
8830 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
8831 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
8832 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
8833 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
8834 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
8836 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
8837 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
8838 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
8839 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
8840 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
8841 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
8842 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
8843 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
8844 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
8845 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
8846 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
8847 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
8848 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
8850 @item gnus-button-man-level
8851 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
8852 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
8853 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
8855 @item gnus-button-message-level
8856 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
8857 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
8858 Related variables and functions include
8859 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
8860 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
8861 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
8862 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
8864 @item gnus-button-tex-level
8865 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
8866 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
8867 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
8868 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
8869 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
8870 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
8876 @subsection Article Date
8878 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8879 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8880 when the article was sent.
8885 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8886 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8887 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8888 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8891 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8892 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8894 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8895 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8898 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8899 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8900 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8903 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8904 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8905 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8906 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8909 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8910 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8911 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8912 @findex format-time-string
8913 Display the date using a user-defined format
8914 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8915 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8916 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8917 for a list of possible format specs.
8920 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8921 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8922 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8923 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8924 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8925 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8928 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8931 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8932 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8933 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8936 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8937 into wonderful absurdities.
8939 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8942 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8945 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8946 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8950 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8951 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8952 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8953 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8954 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8955 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8956 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8960 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8961 preferred format automatically.
8964 @node Article Display
8965 @subsection Article Display
8970 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8971 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8973 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8974 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8976 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8977 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8979 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8980 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8982 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
8987 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8988 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8989 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8990 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8993 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8994 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8995 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8996 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8999 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9000 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9001 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9004 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9005 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9006 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9009 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9010 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9011 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9012 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9015 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9016 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9017 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9018 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9021 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9022 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9023 Remove all images from the article buffer
9024 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9030 @node Article Signature
9031 @subsection Article Signature
9033 @cindex article signature
9035 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9036 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9037 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9038 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9039 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9040 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9041 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9042 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9043 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9046 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9047 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9048 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9049 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9050 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9051 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9052 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9053 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9056 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9059 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9060 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9061 signature when displaying articles.
9065 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9068 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9071 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9072 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9074 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9075 in question is not a signature.
9078 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9079 listed above. Here's an example:
9082 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9083 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9086 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9087 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9088 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9089 signature after all.
9092 @node Article Miscellanea
9093 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9097 @kindex A t (Summary)
9098 @findex gnus-article-babel
9099 Translate the article from one language to another
9100 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9106 @section MIME Commands
9107 @cindex MIME decoding
9109 @cindex viewing attachments
9111 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9112 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9118 @kindex K v (Summary)
9119 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9122 @kindex K o (Summary)
9123 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9126 @kindex K c (Summary)
9127 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9130 @kindex K e (Summary)
9131 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9134 @kindex K i (Summary)
9135 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9138 @kindex K | (Summary)
9139 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9142 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9147 @kindex K b (Summary)
9148 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9149 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9153 @kindex K m (Summary)
9154 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9155 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9156 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9157 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9158 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9161 @kindex X m (Summary)
9162 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9163 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9164 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9165 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9168 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9169 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9170 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9171 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9174 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9175 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9176 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9177 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9180 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9181 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9182 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9183 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9185 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9186 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9187 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9188 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9189 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9190 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9193 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9194 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9195 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9196 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9203 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9204 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9205 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9206 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9209 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9212 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9216 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9217 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9218 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9219 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9220 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9221 default is @code{nil}.
9223 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9224 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9225 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9226 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9227 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9228 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9229 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9231 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9232 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9233 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9234 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9235 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9236 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9237 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9238 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9240 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9241 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9242 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9243 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9244 displayed. This variable overrides
9245 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9246 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9249 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9250 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9251 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9253 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9254 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9255 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9256 default value is @code{nil}.
9258 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9259 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9260 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9261 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9262 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9263 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9264 save all jpegs into some directory).
9266 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9269 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9270 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9272 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9273 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9274 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9275 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9276 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9279 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9280 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9281 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9283 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9284 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9285 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9286 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9288 Ready-made functions include@*
9289 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9290 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9291 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9292 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9293 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9294 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9295 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9296 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9297 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9298 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9299 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9300 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9302 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9303 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9305 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9306 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9307 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9310 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9311 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9312 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9313 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9317 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9326 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9327 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9328 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9329 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9330 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9331 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9332 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9334 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9335 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9336 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9337 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9339 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9340 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9341 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9342 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9343 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9344 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9345 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9346 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9347 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9349 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9350 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9351 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9352 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9353 quoted-printable header encoding.
9355 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9356 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9357 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9361 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9364 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9365 means encode all charsets),
9367 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9368 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9369 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9376 @cindex coding system aliases
9377 @cindex preferred charset
9379 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9381 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9382 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9385 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9386 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9389 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9390 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9392 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9395 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9398 This will almost do the right thing.
9400 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9404 (codepage-setup 1251)
9405 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9409 @node Article Commands
9410 @section Article Commands
9417 @kindex A P (Summary)
9418 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9419 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9420 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9421 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9422 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9423 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9428 @node Summary Sorting
9429 @section Summary Sorting
9430 @cindex summary sorting
9432 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9433 can't really see why you'd want that.
9438 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9439 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9440 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9443 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9444 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9445 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9448 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9449 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9450 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9453 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9454 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9455 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9458 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9459 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9460 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9463 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9464 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9465 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9468 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9469 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9470 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9473 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9474 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9475 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9478 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9479 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9480 Sort using the default sorting method
9481 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9484 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9485 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9486 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9487 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9488 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9492 @node Finding the Parent
9493 @section Finding the Parent
9494 @cindex parent articles
9495 @cindex referring articles
9500 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9501 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9502 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9503 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
9504 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9505 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9506 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9507 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9508 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9510 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9511 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9512 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9513 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9514 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9518 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9519 @kindex A R (Summary)
9520 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9521 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9524 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9525 @kindex A T (Summary)
9526 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9527 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9528 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9529 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9530 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9531 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9532 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9534 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9535 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9536 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9537 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9538 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9539 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9542 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9543 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9545 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9546 You can also ask the @acronym{NNTP} server for an arbitrary article, no
9547 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9548 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9549 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9550 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9551 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9554 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9555 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9556 by giving this command a prefix.
9558 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9559 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9560 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9561 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
9562 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
9563 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9566 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9567 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9568 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9571 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9572 then ask Google if that fails:
9575 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9577 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9580 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9581 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9582 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9583 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9584 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9585 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9586 support this at all.
9589 @node Alternative Approaches
9590 @section Alternative Approaches
9592 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9593 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9596 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9597 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9602 @subsection Pick and Read
9603 @cindex pick and read
9605 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9606 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9607 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9608 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9610 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9611 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9612 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9613 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9614 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9615 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9617 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9622 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9623 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9624 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9625 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9626 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9627 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9628 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9629 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9632 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9633 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9634 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9635 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9639 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9640 Unpick the thread or article
9641 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9642 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9643 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9644 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9645 the thread or article at that line.
9649 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9650 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9651 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9652 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9653 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9654 will still be visible when you are reading.
9658 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9659 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9660 which is mapped to the same function
9661 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9663 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9666 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9669 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9670 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9672 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9673 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9674 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9676 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9677 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9678 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9679 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9680 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9681 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9682 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9686 @subsection Binary Groups
9687 @cindex binary groups
9689 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9690 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9691 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9692 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9693 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9694 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9695 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9698 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9699 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9700 command, when you have turned on this mode
9701 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9703 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9704 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9708 @section Tree Display
9711 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9712 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9713 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9714 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9717 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9720 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9721 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9722 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9724 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9725 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9726 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9727 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9728 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9730 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9731 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9732 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9733 default is @code{modeline}.
9735 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9736 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9737 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9738 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9739 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9740 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9741 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9747 The name of the poster.
9749 The @code{From} header.
9751 The number of the article.
9753 The opening bracket.
9755 The closing bracket.
9760 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9762 Variables related to the display are:
9765 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9766 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9767 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9768 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
9770 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9771 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
9772 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
9774 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9776 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9777 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9778 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9779 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9783 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9784 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9785 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9786 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9787 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9788 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9789 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9790 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9791 other windows displayed next to it.
9793 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9797 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9798 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9801 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9802 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9803 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9804 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9805 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9806 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9807 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9811 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9814 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9824 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9829 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9830 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9832 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9834 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9840 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9841 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9842 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
9845 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9846 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9847 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9848 (gnus-add-configuration
9852 (summary 0.75 point)
9857 @xref{Window Layout}.
9860 @node Mail Group Commands
9861 @section Mail Group Commands
9862 @cindex mail group commands
9864 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9865 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9867 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9868 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9873 @kindex B e (Summary)
9874 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9875 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9876 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9877 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9878 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9881 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9882 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9883 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9884 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9885 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9886 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9889 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9890 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9891 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9892 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9893 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9894 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9897 @kindex B m (Summary)
9899 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9900 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9901 Move the article from one mail group to another
9902 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9903 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9906 @kindex B c (Summary)
9908 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9909 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9910 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9911 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9912 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9915 @kindex B B (Summary)
9916 @cindex crosspost mail
9917 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9918 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9919 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9920 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9921 be properly updated.
9924 @kindex B i (Summary)
9925 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9926 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9927 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9928 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9931 @kindex B I (Summary)
9932 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9933 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9934 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9935 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9938 @kindex B r (Summary)
9939 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9940 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9941 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9942 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9943 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9944 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9945 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9946 (which is the default).
9950 @kindex B w (Summary)
9952 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9953 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9954 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9955 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9956 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9957 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9958 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9961 @kindex B q (Summary)
9962 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9963 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9964 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9965 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9968 @kindex B t (Summary)
9969 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9970 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9971 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9974 @kindex B p (Summary)
9975 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9976 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
9977 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9978 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9979 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9980 article from your news server (or rather, from
9981 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9982 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9983 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9984 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9985 just not have arrived yet.
9988 @kindex K E (Summary)
9989 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9990 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9991 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9992 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9993 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9997 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9998 @cindex moving articles
9999 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10000 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10001 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10002 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10003 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10004 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10005 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10008 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10009 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10010 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10011 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10015 @node Various Summary Stuff
10016 @section Various Summary Stuff
10019 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10020 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10021 * Summary Generation Commands::
10022 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10026 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10027 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10028 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10029 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10030 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10031 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10033 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10034 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10035 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10038 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10039 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10040 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10042 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10043 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10044 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10045 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10046 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10047 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10050 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10051 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10052 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10053 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10054 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10056 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10057 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10058 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10061 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10062 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10063 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10064 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10065 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10066 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10067 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10068 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10069 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10070 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10072 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10073 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10074 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10075 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10076 list of articles to be selected.
10078 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10079 the list in one particular group:
10082 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10083 (if (string= group "some.group")
10084 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10088 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10089 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10090 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10091 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
10092 @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary buffer is
10093 active. These variables can be used to set variables in the group
10094 parameters while still allowing them to affect operations done in
10095 other buffers. For example:
10098 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10099 '(message-use-followup-to
10100 (gnus-visible-headers .
10101 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10107 @node Summary Group Information
10108 @subsection Summary Group Information
10113 @kindex H f (Summary)
10114 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10115 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10116 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10117 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10118 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10119 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10120 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10121 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10122 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10125 @kindex H d (Summary)
10126 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10127 Give a brief description of the current group
10128 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10129 rereading the description from the server.
10132 @kindex H h (Summary)
10133 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10134 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10135 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10138 @kindex H i (Summary)
10139 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10140 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10144 @node Searching for Articles
10145 @subsection Searching for Articles
10150 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10151 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10152 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10153 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10156 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10157 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10158 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10159 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10162 @kindex & (Summary)
10163 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10164 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10165 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10166 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10167 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10168 search backward instead.
10170 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
10171 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10174 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10175 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10176 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10177 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10180 @node Summary Generation Commands
10181 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10186 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10187 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10188 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10191 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10192 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10193 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10194 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10197 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10198 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10199 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10200 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10205 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10206 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10212 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10213 @kindex A D (Summary)
10214 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10215 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10216 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10217 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10218 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10219 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10220 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10221 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10225 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10226 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10227 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10228 several documents into one biiig group
10229 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10230 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10231 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10232 command understands the process/prefix convention
10233 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10236 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10237 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10238 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10239 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10240 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10241 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10244 @kindex = (Summary)
10245 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10246 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10247 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10250 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10251 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10252 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10253 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10256 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10257 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10258 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10259 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10264 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10265 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10266 @cindex summary exit
10267 @cindex exiting groups
10269 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10270 group and return you to the group buffer.
10276 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10277 @kindex q (Summary)
10278 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10279 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10280 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10281 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10282 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10283 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10284 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10285 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10286 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10287 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10288 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10289 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10293 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10294 @kindex Q (Summary)
10295 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10296 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10297 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10301 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10302 @kindex c (Summary)
10303 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10304 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10305 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10306 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10309 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10310 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10311 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10312 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10315 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10316 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10317 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10318 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10321 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10322 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10323 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10324 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10325 all articles, both read and unread.
10329 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10330 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10331 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10332 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10333 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10334 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10335 articles, both read and unread.
10338 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10339 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10340 Exit the group and go to the next group
10341 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10344 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10345 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10346 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10347 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10350 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10351 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10352 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10353 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10354 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10355 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10358 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10359 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10360 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10361 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10363 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10364 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10365 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10366 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10367 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10368 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10369 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10370 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10371 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10372 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10373 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10374 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10376 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10378 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10379 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10380 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10381 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10382 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10383 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10384 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10385 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10386 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10389 @node Crosspost Handling
10390 @section Crosspost Handling
10394 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10395 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10396 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10397 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10398 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10399 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10402 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10403 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10404 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10405 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10406 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10408 @cindex cross-posting
10410 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
10411 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10412 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
10413 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10414 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
10415 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10416 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10417 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10418 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10419 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10420 the cross reference mechanism.
10422 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10423 @cindex overview.fmt
10424 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10425 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10426 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10427 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10428 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10429 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10432 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10433 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10434 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10439 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10442 @node Duplicate Suppression
10443 @section Duplicate Suppression
10445 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10446 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10447 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10448 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10453 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10454 is evil and not very common.
10457 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10458 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10461 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10462 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
10465 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10468 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10469 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10471 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10472 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10473 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10474 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10475 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10476 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10477 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10480 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10481 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10482 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10483 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10484 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10485 saw the article in.
10488 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10489 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10490 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10492 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10493 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10494 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10495 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10496 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10497 session are suppressed.
10499 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10500 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10501 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10502 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10504 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10505 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10506 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10507 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10510 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10511 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10512 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10513 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10514 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10515 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10516 to you to figure out, I think.
10521 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10522 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
10523 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
10528 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
10529 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
10530 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
10531 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10534 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10535 or newer is recommended.
10539 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10540 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10543 @item mm-verify-option
10544 @vindex mm-verify-option
10545 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10546 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10547 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10549 @item mm-decrypt-option
10550 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10551 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10552 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10553 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10556 @vindex mml1991-use
10557 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10558 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10559 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10563 @vindex mml2015-use
10564 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10565 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
10566 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
10571 @cindex snarfing keys
10572 @cindex importing PGP keys
10573 @cindex PGP key ring import
10574 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
10575 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
10576 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
10577 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
10578 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
10579 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
10580 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
10581 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
10582 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
10585 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
10588 This happens to also be the default action defined in
10589 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
10592 @section Mailing List
10593 @cindex mailing list
10596 @kindex A M (summary)
10597 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10598 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10599 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10600 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10603 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10608 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10609 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10610 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10613 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10614 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10615 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10618 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10619 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10620 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10624 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10625 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10626 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10629 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10630 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10631 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10634 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10635 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10636 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10641 @node Article Buffer
10642 @chapter Article Buffer
10643 @cindex article buffer
10645 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10646 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10647 tell Gnus otherwise.
10650 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10651 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
10652 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10653 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10654 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10658 @node Hiding Headers
10659 @section Hiding Headers
10660 @cindex hiding headers
10661 @cindex deleting headers
10663 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10664 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10666 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10667 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10668 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10669 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10670 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10671 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10672 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
10673 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10674 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10676 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10680 @item gnus-visible-headers
10681 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10682 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10683 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10684 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10686 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10687 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10690 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10693 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10696 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10697 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10698 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10699 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10700 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10701 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10703 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10704 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10707 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10710 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10713 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10714 variable will have no effect.
10718 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10719 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10720 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10721 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10722 the headers are to be displayed.
10724 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10725 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10728 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10731 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10732 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10734 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10735 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10736 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10737 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10738 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10739 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10740 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10743 These conditions are:
10746 Remove all empty headers.
10748 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10749 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10751 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10752 @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter is
10755 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10758 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10759 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10761 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10762 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10764 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10765 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10767 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10770 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10772 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10775 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10778 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10779 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10782 This is also the default value for this variable.
10786 @section Using MIME
10787 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
10789 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10790 while people stand around yawning.
10792 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10793 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10795 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10796 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10797 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10799 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10800 @findex gnus-display-mime
10801 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10802 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10803 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10804 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
10806 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10807 @acronym{MIME} button:
10810 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10811 @item RET (Article)
10812 @kindex RET (Article)
10813 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10814 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
10815 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
10816 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10817 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10818 object is displayed inline.
10820 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10821 @item M-RET (Article)
10822 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10824 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10825 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10827 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10829 @kindex t (Article)
10830 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
10831 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10833 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10835 @kindex C (Article)
10836 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
10837 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10839 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10841 @kindex o (Article)
10842 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
10843 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10845 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10846 @item C-o (Article)
10847 @kindex C-o (Article)
10848 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
10849 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10850 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10851 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
10852 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10853 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10855 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10857 @kindex d (Article)
10858 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
10859 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
10860 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10862 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10864 @kindex c (Article)
10865 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10866 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10867 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10868 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10869 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10871 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10873 @kindex p (Article)
10874 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10875 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10876 @file{.mailcap} file.
10878 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10880 @kindex i (Article)
10881 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
10882 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10883 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10884 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10885 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10888 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10890 @kindex E (Article)
10891 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10892 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10893 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10895 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10897 @kindex e (Article)
10898 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
10899 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10901 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10903 @kindex | (Article)
10904 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10906 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10908 @kindex . (Article)
10909 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
10910 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10914 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10915 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10916 @acronym{MIME} manual.
10918 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10919 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10920 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
10921 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10922 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10923 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10924 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10925 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10926 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10928 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10930 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10933 @node Customizing Articles
10934 @section Customizing Articles
10935 @cindex article customization
10937 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10938 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10939 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10940 called automatically when you select the articles.
10942 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10943 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10944 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10945 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10947 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10948 for sensible values.
10952 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10955 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10958 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10961 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10964 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10968 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10969 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10970 regexps in the list.
10973 A list where the first element is not a string:
10975 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10976 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10977 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10981 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10986 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10987 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
10988 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10989 considered to contain just a single part.
10991 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10992 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10993 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10994 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10995 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10996 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10997 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10999 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11000 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11001 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11002 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11005 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11006 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11008 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11010 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11011 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11012 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11013 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11014 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
11015 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11016 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11017 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11018 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11019 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11021 @xref{Article Washing}.
11023 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11024 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11025 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11026 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11027 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11028 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11029 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11031 @xref{Article Date}.
11033 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11034 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11035 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11039 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11041 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11043 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11044 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11045 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11049 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
11053 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11054 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11055 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11056 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11057 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11058 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11059 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11060 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11061 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11062 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11064 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11066 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11067 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11068 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11070 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11072 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11073 @item gnus-treat-translate
11074 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11076 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11077 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11078 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11079 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11081 @xref{Article Header}.
11086 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11087 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11088 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11089 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11090 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11094 @node Article Keymap
11095 @section Article Keymap
11097 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11098 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11099 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11100 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11103 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11108 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11109 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11110 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11111 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11114 @kindex DEL (Article)
11115 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11116 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11117 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11120 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11121 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11122 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11123 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11124 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11127 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11128 @findex gnus-article-mail
11129 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11130 given a prefix, include the mail.
11133 @kindex s (Article)
11134 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11135 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11136 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11139 @kindex ? (Article)
11140 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11141 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11142 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11145 @kindex TAB (Article)
11146 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11147 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11148 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11151 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11152 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11153 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11156 @kindex R (Article)
11157 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11158 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11159 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11160 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11164 @kindex F (Article)
11165 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11166 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11167 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11168 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11176 @section Misc Article
11180 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11181 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11182 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11183 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11186 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11187 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11188 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11189 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11190 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11192 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11193 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11194 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11195 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11196 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11197 the contents of the article buffer.
11199 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11200 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11201 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11203 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11204 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11205 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11206 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11208 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11209 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11210 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11211 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11213 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11214 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11215 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11216 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
11217 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11223 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11224 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11225 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11230 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11233 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11236 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11237 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11238 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11241 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11244 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11247 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11252 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11256 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11258 @item gnus-break-pages
11259 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11260 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11261 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11262 paging will not be done.
11264 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11265 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11266 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11270 @cindex internationalized domain names
11271 @vindex gnus-use-idna
11272 @item gnus-use-idna
11273 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
11274 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
11275 @samp{Cc} headers. This requires
11276 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
11277 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
11282 @node Composing Messages
11283 @chapter Composing Messages
11284 @cindex composing messages
11287 @cindex sending mail
11292 @cindex using s/mime
11293 @cindex using smime
11295 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11296 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11297 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11298 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11299 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11300 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11303 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11304 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11305 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11306 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11307 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11308 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11309 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11310 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11313 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11314 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11320 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11323 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11324 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11325 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11326 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11327 @code{nil} include all headers.
11329 @item gnus-add-to-list
11330 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11331 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11332 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11334 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11335 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11336 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11337 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11338 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11339 confirmation is should be asked for.
11341 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11342 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11344 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11345 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11346 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11347 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11348 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11353 @node Posting Server
11354 @section Posting Server
11356 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11357 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11359 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11361 It can be quite complicated.
11363 @vindex gnus-post-method
11364 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11365 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11366 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11367 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11368 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11369 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11370 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11371 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11372 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11375 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11378 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11379 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11380 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11381 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11383 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11384 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11386 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11387 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11390 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11391 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11393 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11394 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11395 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11396 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11397 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
11398 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11399 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11400 package correctly. An example:
11403 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11404 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11407 To the thing similar to this, there is
11408 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your ISP requires
11409 the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. See the
11410 documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11412 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11413 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11414 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11416 @node Mail and Post
11417 @section Mail and Post
11419 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11423 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11424 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11425 @cindex mailing lists
11427 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11428 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
11429 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11430 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11431 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11432 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11433 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11434 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11435 still a pain, though.
11437 @item gnus-user-agent
11438 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11441 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11442 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11443 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11444 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11445 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11446 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11447 use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
11451 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11452 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11453 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11456 @findex ispell-message
11458 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11461 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11462 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11465 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11469 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11470 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11472 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11475 Modify to suit your needs.
11478 @node Archived Messages
11479 @section Archived Messages
11480 @cindex archived messages
11481 @cindex sent messages
11483 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11484 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11485 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11486 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11489 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11490 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11493 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11494 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11495 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11498 (nnfolder "archive"
11499 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11500 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11501 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11502 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11505 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11506 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11507 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11508 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11511 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11512 '(nnfolder "archive"
11513 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11514 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11515 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11518 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11520 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11521 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11522 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11524 This variable can be used to do the following:
11529 Messages will be saved in that group.
11531 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11532 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11533 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11534 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11535 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11536 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11537 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11538 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11542 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11544 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11545 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11548 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11553 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11555 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11558 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11560 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11563 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11565 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11566 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11567 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11568 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11571 More complex stuff:
11573 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11574 '((if (message-news-p)
11579 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11580 messages in one file per month:
11583 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11584 '((if (message-news-p)
11586 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11589 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11590 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11592 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11593 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11594 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11595 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11596 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11597 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11598 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11599 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11600 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11601 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11603 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11604 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11605 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11606 this will disable archiving.
11609 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11610 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11611 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11612 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11613 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11616 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11617 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11618 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11621 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11622 but the latter is the preferred method.
11624 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11625 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11626 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11628 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11629 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11630 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11631 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11632 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11633 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11634 changed in the future.
11639 @node Posting Styles
11640 @section Posting Styles
11641 @cindex posting styles
11644 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11646 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11647 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11648 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11651 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11652 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11653 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11654 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11655 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11660 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11661 (organization "What me?"))
11663 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11664 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11665 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11668 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11669 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11670 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11671 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11672 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11673 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11674 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11675 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11677 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11678 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11679 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11680 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11681 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11682 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11683 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11684 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11685 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11686 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11687 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11688 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11689 said to @dfn{match}.
11691 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11692 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11693 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11694 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11695 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11696 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11697 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11698 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11699 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11700 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11703 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11704 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11705 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11706 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11707 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11708 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11709 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11710 references chars lines xref extra.
11712 @vindex message-reply-headers
11714 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11715 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11716 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11718 @findex message-mail-p
11719 @findex message-news-p
11721 So here's a new example:
11724 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11726 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11728 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11729 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11731 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11732 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
11733 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11734 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
11735 (signature my-news-signature))
11736 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
11737 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11738 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
11739 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11740 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11741 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
11742 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11743 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11744 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11745 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11747 (From (save-excursion
11748 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11749 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11751 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11754 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11755 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11756 if you fill many roles.
11763 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11764 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11765 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11766 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11767 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11769 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11770 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11771 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11772 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11773 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11777 @vindex nndraft-directory
11778 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11779 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11780 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11781 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11782 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11783 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11785 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11786 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11787 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
11788 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
11789 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
11790 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
11791 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
11792 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
11793 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
11795 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11796 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11797 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11798 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11799 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11800 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11801 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11802 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11803 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11804 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11805 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11806 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11807 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11808 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11810 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11811 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11812 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11814 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11815 @kindex D e (Draft)
11816 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11817 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11818 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11820 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11823 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11824 @kindex D s (Draft)
11825 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11826 @kindex D S (Draft)
11827 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11828 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11829 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11830 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11831 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11834 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11835 @kindex D t (Draft)
11836 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11837 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11838 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11841 @node Rejected Articles
11842 @section Rejected Articles
11843 @cindex rejected articles
11845 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11846 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11847 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11848 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11850 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11851 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11852 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11853 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11854 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11856 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11857 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11858 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11860 @node Signing and encrypting
11861 @section Signing and encrypting
11863 @cindex using s/mime
11864 @cindex using smime
11866 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
11867 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
11868 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
11869 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
11871 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11872 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11873 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11874 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11875 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11876 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11877 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11878 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11879 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11880 automatically encrypted messages.
11882 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @acronym{MIME} part is
11883 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11884 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11889 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11890 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11892 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11895 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11896 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11898 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11901 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11902 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11904 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11907 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11908 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11910 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
11913 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11914 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11916 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
11919 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11920 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11922 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
11925 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11926 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11927 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11931 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11933 @node Select Methods
11934 @chapter Select Methods
11935 @cindex foreign groups
11936 @cindex select methods
11938 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11939 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11940 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11941 personal mail group.
11943 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11944 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11945 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11946 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11947 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11948 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11950 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11951 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11953 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11956 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
11957 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11958 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11959 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11960 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11962 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11965 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11966 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11967 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11968 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11969 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
11970 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11971 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11972 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11976 @node Server Buffer
11977 @section Server Buffer
11979 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11980 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11981 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11982 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11983 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11984 back end represents a virtual server.
11986 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11987 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11988 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11989 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11991 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11992 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11993 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11994 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11995 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11996 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11997 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11999 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12000 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12003 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12004 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12005 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12006 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12007 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12008 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12009 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12012 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12013 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12016 @node Server Buffer Format
12017 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12018 @cindex server buffer format
12020 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12021 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12022 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12023 variable, with some simple extensions:
12028 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12031 The name of this server.
12034 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12037 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12040 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12041 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12042 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12043 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12053 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12056 @node Server Commands
12057 @subsection Server Commands
12058 @cindex server commands
12064 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12065 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12069 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12070 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12073 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12074 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12075 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12079 @findex gnus-server-exit
12080 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12084 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12085 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12089 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12090 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12094 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12095 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12099 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12100 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12104 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12105 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12106 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12111 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12112 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12113 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12114 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12119 @node Example Methods
12120 @subsection Example Methods
12122 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12125 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12128 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12134 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12135 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12138 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12139 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12141 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12142 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12146 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12149 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
12150 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
12152 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
12153 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
12154 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
12158 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
12161 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
12164 Here's the method for a public spool:
12168 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
12169 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
12175 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
12176 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
12177 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12178 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
12179 should probably look something like this:
12183 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
12184 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
12185 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
12186 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12189 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
12190 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
12191 configuration to the example above:
12194 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
12197 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
12199 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
12200 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
12201 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
12205 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12206 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
12207 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
12208 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
12211 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
12212 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
12213 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
12214 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
12217 @node Creating a Virtual Server
12218 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
12220 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
12221 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
12223 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
12224 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
12225 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
12227 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
12229 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
12230 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
12231 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
12232 will contain the following:
12242 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
12243 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
12244 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12247 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12248 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12249 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12252 @node Server Variables
12253 @subsection Server Variables
12254 @cindex server variables
12255 @cindex server parameters
12257 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12258 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12259 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12260 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12261 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12263 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12264 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12265 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12266 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12267 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12268 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12269 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12270 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12271 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12275 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12276 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12277 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12280 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
12282 @node Servers and Methods
12283 @subsection Servers and Methods
12285 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12286 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12287 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12288 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12292 @node Unavailable Servers
12293 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12295 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12296 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12297 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12298 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12299 actually the case or not.
12301 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12302 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12303 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12304 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12305 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12306 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12307 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12308 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12310 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12311 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12313 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12314 with the following commands:
12320 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12321 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12322 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12326 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12327 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12328 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12332 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12333 Mark the current server as unreachable
12334 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12337 @kindex M-o (Server)
12338 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12339 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12340 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12343 @kindex M-c (Server)
12344 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12345 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12346 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12350 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12351 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12352 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12356 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12357 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12363 @section Getting News
12364 @cindex reading news
12365 @cindex news back ends
12367 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12368 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
12369 or it can read from a local spool.
12372 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12373 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12381 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
12382 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
12383 server as the, uhm, address.
12385 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12386 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12387 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12388 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12390 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12391 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12392 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12394 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12399 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12400 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12401 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12403 @cindex authentification
12404 @cindex nntp authentification
12405 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12406 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12407 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12408 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
12409 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12410 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12411 present in this hook.
12413 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12414 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12415 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12416 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12417 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
12418 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12419 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12420 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12421 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12422 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12423 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12424 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12428 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12431 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12433 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12434 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12435 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12436 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12437 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12438 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12439 @samp{force} is explained below.
12443 Here's an example file:
12446 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12447 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12450 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12451 have to be first, for instance.
12453 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12454 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12455 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12456 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12457 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12458 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12459 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12461 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12462 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12468 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12469 previously mentioned.
12471 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12473 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12474 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12475 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12476 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12477 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12480 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12481 '(("innd" (ding))))
12484 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12486 The default value is
12489 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12490 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12491 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12494 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12495 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12497 @item nntp-maximum-request
12498 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12499 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
12500 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12501 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12502 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12503 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12504 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12506 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12507 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12508 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12509 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
12510 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12511 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12512 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12513 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12514 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12515 no timeouts are done.
12517 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12518 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12519 @c @cindex PPP connections
12520 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12521 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12522 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12523 @c changes after connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will simply sit
12524 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12525 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12526 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12527 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12528 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12529 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12531 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12532 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12533 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12534 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12535 @c described above.
12537 @item nntp-server-hook
12538 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12539 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @acronym{NNTP}
12542 @item nntp-buggy-select
12543 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12544 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12546 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12547 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12548 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
12549 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
12552 @item nntp-xover-commands
12553 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12554 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
12556 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
12557 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12561 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12562 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
12563 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12564 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12565 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
12566 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12567 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12568 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12569 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12570 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12571 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12573 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12574 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12575 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
12577 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12578 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12579 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12580 server closes connection.
12582 @item nntp-record-commands
12583 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12584 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12585 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12586 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
12587 that doesn't seem to work.
12589 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12590 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12591 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12592 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12593 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12594 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12595 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12596 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12598 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12599 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12600 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12601 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12602 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12603 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12604 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12607 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12610 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12611 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12613 @item nntp-read-timeout
12614 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12615 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12616 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12617 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12618 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12624 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12625 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12626 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12630 @node Direct Functions
12631 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12632 @cindex direct connection functions
12634 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12635 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
12636 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12637 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12640 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12641 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12642 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12645 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
12646 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
12647 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12648 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
12649 installed. You then define a server as follows:
12652 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12653 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
12655 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12656 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
12657 (nntp-port-number )
12658 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12661 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12662 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12663 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12664 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
12665 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
12666 then define a server as follows:
12669 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
12670 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
12672 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12673 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12674 (nntp-port-number 563)
12675 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12678 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12679 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12680 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12681 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12682 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12683 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12684 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12685 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12689 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12690 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12691 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12694 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12695 session, which is not a good idea.
12699 @node Indirect Functions
12700 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12701 @cindex indirect connection functions
12703 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12704 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12705 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12706 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12707 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12708 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12711 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12712 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12713 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12714 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12715 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12717 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12720 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12721 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12722 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12723 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12725 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12726 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12727 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12728 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12729 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12730 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12731 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
12732 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
12736 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12737 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12738 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12739 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12741 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12744 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12745 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12746 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12749 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12750 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12751 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12752 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12754 @item nntp-via-user-password
12755 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12756 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12758 @item nntp-via-envuser
12759 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12760 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12761 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12762 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12764 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12765 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12766 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12767 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12774 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12779 @item nntp-via-user-name
12780 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12781 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12783 @item nntp-via-address
12784 @vindex nntp-via-address
12785 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12790 @node Common Variables
12791 @subsubsection Common Variables
12793 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12794 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12799 @item nntp-pre-command
12800 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12801 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
12802 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
12803 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
12804 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
12807 @vindex nntp-address
12808 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
12810 @item nntp-port-number
12811 @vindex nntp-port-number
12812 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12813 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
12814 @acronym{tls}/@acronym{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12815 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
12816 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
12817 not work with named ports.
12819 @item nntp-end-of-line
12820 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12821 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
12822 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12823 using a non native connection function.
12825 @item nntp-telnet-command
12826 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12827 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
12828 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
12829 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
12832 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12833 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12834 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12841 @subsection News Spool
12845 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12846 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12847 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12850 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12851 anything else) as the address.
12853 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12854 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12855 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12856 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12860 @item nnspool-inews-program
12861 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12862 Program used to post an article.
12864 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12865 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12866 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12868 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12869 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12870 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12871 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12873 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12874 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12875 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
12876 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12878 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12879 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12880 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12882 @item nnspool-active-file
12883 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12884 The name of the active file.
12886 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12887 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12888 The name of the group descriptions file.
12890 @item nnspool-history-file
12891 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12892 The name of the news history file.
12894 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12895 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12896 The name of the active date file.
12898 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12899 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12900 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
12903 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12904 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12906 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12907 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
12908 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
12915 @section Getting Mail
12916 @cindex reading mail
12919 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12923 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12924 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12925 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12926 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12927 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12928 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12929 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12930 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12931 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12932 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12933 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12934 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12935 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12939 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12940 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12942 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12943 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12944 of a culture shock.
12946 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12947 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12949 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12950 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12951 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12952 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12954 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12956 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12957 deleted? How awful!
12959 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12960 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12961 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12962 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12965 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12966 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12967 they want to treat a message.
12969 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12970 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12971 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12972 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12973 archived somewhere else.
12975 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12976 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12977 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12978 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12979 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12981 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12982 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12983 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12985 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12986 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12989 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12990 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12991 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12992 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12993 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12995 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12996 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12997 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12998 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12999 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13000 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13004 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13005 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13007 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13008 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13009 and things will happen automatically.
13011 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13012 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13015 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13018 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13019 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13020 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13021 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13022 like any other group.
13024 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13027 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13028 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13029 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13033 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13034 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13035 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13038 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13039 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13040 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13043 @node Splitting Mail
13044 @subsection Splitting Mail
13045 @cindex splitting mail
13046 @cindex mail splitting
13048 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
13049 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
13050 to be split into groups.
13053 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13054 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13055 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13056 ("mail.other" "")))
13059 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
13060 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
13061 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
13062 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
13063 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
13064 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
13065 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
13068 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
13071 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13072 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
13073 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
13074 mail belongs in that group.
13076 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
13077 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
13078 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
13079 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
13080 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
13081 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
13083 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
13084 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
13085 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
13086 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
13087 thinks should carry this mail message.
13089 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
13090 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
13091 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
13092 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
13094 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
13095 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
13096 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
13097 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
13098 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
13100 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
13103 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
13104 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
13105 links. If that's the case for you, set
13106 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
13107 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
13109 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
13110 @findex nnmail-split-history
13111 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
13112 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
13113 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
13114 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
13117 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
13118 Header lines longer than the value of
13119 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
13122 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
13123 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
13124 By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
13125 can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
13126 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
13127 charset for decoding. The behaviour can be turned off completely by
13128 binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
13129 useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
13131 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13132 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
13133 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
13134 @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then splitting does
13135 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
13136 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
13137 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
13138 other kinds of entries.)
13140 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
13141 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
13142 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
13143 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
13144 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
13145 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
13146 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
13147 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
13148 month's rent money.
13152 @subsection Mail Sources
13154 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
13155 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
13156 maildir, for instance.
13159 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
13160 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
13161 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
13165 @node Mail Source Specifiers
13166 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
13168 @cindex mail server
13171 @cindex mail source
13173 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
13174 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
13179 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
13182 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
13183 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
13184 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
13187 The following mail source types are available:
13191 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
13197 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
13198 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
13199 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
13203 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13206 An example file mail source:
13209 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
13212 Or using the default file name:
13218 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
13219 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
13220 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
13221 mail spool while moving the mail.
13223 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
13227 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
13230 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
13234 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
13237 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
13239 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
13242 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
13246 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
13247 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
13248 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
13249 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
13250 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
13251 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
13252 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
13253 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
13254 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
13255 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
13257 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
13258 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
13259 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
13260 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13266 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13270 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13274 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13275 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13276 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13277 predicate are considered.
13281 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13285 An example directory mail source:
13288 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13293 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
13299 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
13300 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13303 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
13304 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13305 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13306 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13307 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13310 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
13314 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
13315 the user is prompted.
13318 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
13319 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13322 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13325 The valid format specifier characters are:
13329 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13330 included in this string.
13333 The name of the server.
13336 The port number of the server.
13339 The user name to use.
13342 The password to use.
13345 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13346 corresponding keywords.
13349 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13350 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13353 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13354 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13357 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
13358 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
13359 mail should be moved to.
13361 @item :authentication
13362 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13363 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13368 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13369 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13371 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
13372 using the default user name, and default fetcher:
13378 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13381 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13382 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13385 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13388 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13392 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13393 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13394 contains exactly one mail.
13400 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13401 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13404 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13405 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13407 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13408 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13409 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13412 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13413 from locking problems).
13417 Two example maildir mail sources:
13420 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13421 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13425 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13430 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
13431 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
13432 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
13433 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
13434 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
13436 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
13437 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13443 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
13444 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13447 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13448 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
13451 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
13455 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
13459 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13460 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13461 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
13462 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13464 @item :authentication
13465 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13466 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13467 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13468 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13471 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13472 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13473 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13479 The valid format specifier characters are:
13483 The name of the server.
13486 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13489 The port number of the server.
13492 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13493 corresponding keywords.
13496 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13497 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13500 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13501 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13502 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
13503 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13504 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13505 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13508 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13509 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13510 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13511 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13514 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
13515 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
13519 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
13522 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13524 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13528 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13529 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13530 @uref{mail.yahoo.com}.
13532 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13533 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13535 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13541 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13542 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13545 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13549 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13553 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
13554 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
13558 An example webmail source:
13561 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13563 :password "secret")
13568 @item Common Keywords
13569 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13575 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
13576 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
13581 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13586 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13587 useful when you use local mail and news.
13592 @subsubsection Function Interface
13594 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13595 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13596 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13597 consider the following mail-source setting:
13600 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13601 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13604 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13605 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13606 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13607 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13608 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13610 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13613 @node Mail Source Customization
13614 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13616 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13617 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13621 @item mail-source-crash-box
13622 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13623 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
13624 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13626 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13627 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13628 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13629 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13630 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13631 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
13632 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13633 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13635 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13636 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13637 If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13638 files. This variable only applies when
13639 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13641 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13642 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13643 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13645 @item mail-source-directory
13646 @vindex mail-source-directory
13647 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13648 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13649 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13652 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13653 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13654 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13655 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13656 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13657 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13659 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13660 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13661 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13663 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13664 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13665 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
13666 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13671 @node Fetching Mail
13672 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13674 @vindex mail-sources
13675 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13676 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13677 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13678 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13680 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13681 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13684 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
13685 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
13690 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13691 :password "secret")))
13694 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13698 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13699 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13702 :password "secret")))
13706 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13707 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13708 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13709 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13710 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13711 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13715 @node Mail Back End Variables
13716 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13718 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13722 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13723 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13724 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13725 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13727 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13728 @item nnmail-split-hook
13729 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13730 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
13731 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
13732 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13733 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13734 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13735 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13736 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13737 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13740 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13741 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13742 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13743 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13744 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13745 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13746 starting to handle the new mail) and
13747 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13748 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13749 default file modes the new mail files get:
13752 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13753 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13755 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13756 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13759 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13760 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13761 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13762 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13763 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13764 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13765 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13767 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13768 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13769 @findex delete-file
13770 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13772 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13773 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13774 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13775 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13776 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13778 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13779 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13780 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13781 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13782 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13784 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13785 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13786 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13791 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13792 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13793 @cindex mail splitting
13794 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13796 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13797 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13798 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13799 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13800 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13801 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13803 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13806 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
13807 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
13808 ;; @r{from real errors.}
13809 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13811 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
13812 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
13813 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
13814 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13815 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13816 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
13817 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13818 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13819 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
13820 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
13821 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
13822 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
13823 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13824 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13825 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
13826 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13827 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
13831 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13832 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13833 the five possible split syntaxes:
13838 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13839 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13843 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13844 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13845 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13846 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13847 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13848 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13849 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13850 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13853 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13854 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13855 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13856 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13859 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13860 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13863 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13864 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13867 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13868 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13869 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13870 function should return a @var{split}.
13873 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13874 body of the messages:
13877 (defun split-on-body ()
13879 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13880 (goto-char (point-min))
13881 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13885 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13886 when the @code{:} function is run.
13889 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13890 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13891 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13892 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13895 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13899 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13900 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13901 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13902 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13903 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13905 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13906 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case they
13907 are expanded as specified by the variable
13908 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13909 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13912 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13913 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13914 when all this splitting is performed.
13916 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13917 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13918 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13921 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13924 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13925 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13927 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13928 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13929 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13930 groupings 1 through 9.
13932 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13933 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13934 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13935 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13936 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13937 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13938 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13939 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13940 it once per thread.
13942 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
13943 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
13944 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
13945 using the colon feature, like so:
13947 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
13948 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13950 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13951 ;; @r{other splits go here}
13955 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13956 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
13957 in the file specified by the variable
13958 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
13959 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
13960 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
13961 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
13962 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
13963 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
13964 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
13965 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
13966 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
13967 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
13968 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
13969 300 kBytes in size.)
13970 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13971 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13972 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13973 messages goes into the new group.
13975 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13976 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13977 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13978 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13979 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13983 @node Group Mail Splitting
13984 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13985 @cindex mail splitting
13986 @cindex group mail splitting
13988 @findex gnus-group-split
13989 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13990 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13991 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13992 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13993 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13994 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13995 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13996 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13998 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13999 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
14000 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
14001 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
14003 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
14004 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
14005 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
14006 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
14007 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
14008 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
14009 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
14011 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
14012 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
14013 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
14014 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
14015 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
14016 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
14017 @code{gnus-group-split}.
14019 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
14020 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
14021 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
14022 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
14023 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
14024 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
14025 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
14026 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
14027 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
14028 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
14029 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
14030 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
14031 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
14033 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
14038 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
14039 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
14041 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
14042 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
14043 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
14044 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
14046 ((split-spec . catch-all))
14049 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
14050 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
14051 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
14054 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
14055 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
14056 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
14060 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
14061 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
14062 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
14066 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
14069 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
14070 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
14071 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
14072 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
14073 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
14074 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
14075 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
14076 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
14077 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
14079 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
14080 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
14081 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
14082 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
14083 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
14084 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
14085 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
14086 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
14087 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
14089 @findex gnus-group-split-update
14090 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
14091 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
14092 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
14093 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
14094 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
14097 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
14100 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
14101 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
14102 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
14103 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
14104 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
14107 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
14108 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
14109 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
14110 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
14112 @node Incorporating Old Mail
14113 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
14114 @cindex incorporating old mail
14115 @cindex import old mail
14117 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
14118 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
14119 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
14122 Doing so can be quite easy.
14124 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
14125 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
14126 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
14127 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
14128 your @code{nnml} groups.
14134 Go to the group buffer.
14137 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
14138 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14141 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
14144 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
14145 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
14148 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
14149 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
14152 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
14153 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
14154 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
14155 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
14156 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
14158 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
14159 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
14160 using the new mail back end.
14163 @node Expiring Mail
14164 @subsection Expiring Mail
14165 @cindex article expiry
14167 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
14168 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
14169 different approach to mail reading.
14171 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
14172 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
14173 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
14174 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
14175 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
14176 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
14179 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
14180 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
14181 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
14182 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
14183 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
14184 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
14185 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
14186 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
14187 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
14189 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
14190 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
14191 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
14192 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
14193 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
14194 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
14195 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
14198 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
14199 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
14200 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
14201 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
14202 into its own group.)
14204 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
14205 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
14206 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
14207 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
14208 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
14209 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
14210 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
14211 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
14214 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14215 Groups that match the regular expression
14216 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
14217 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
14218 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
14220 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
14221 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
14222 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
14223 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
14224 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14226 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
14228 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
14229 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
14230 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
14233 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
14234 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
14235 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
14236 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
14237 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
14239 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
14240 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
14243 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
14244 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
14247 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
14248 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
14250 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
14251 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
14252 don't really mix very well.
14254 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
14255 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
14256 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
14257 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
14260 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
14261 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
14262 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
14263 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14266 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14268 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14270 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14272 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14274 ((string= group "important")
14280 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14281 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14283 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14284 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14285 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14288 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14289 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14291 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14292 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14293 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14294 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14295 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14296 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14297 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14298 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14299 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14300 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14301 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14302 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
14303 name or @code{delete}.
14305 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14307 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14310 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14311 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14312 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14313 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14314 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14317 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14318 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14319 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14320 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14321 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14324 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14325 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14326 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14327 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14328 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14329 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14331 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14332 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14333 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14334 easier for procmail users.
14336 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14337 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14338 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14339 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14340 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14341 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14342 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14343 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14344 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14345 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14346 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14347 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14348 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14351 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14353 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14354 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14355 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14356 auto-expire turned on.
14360 @subsection Washing Mail
14361 @cindex mail washing
14362 @cindex list server brain damage
14363 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14365 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14366 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14367 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14368 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14369 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14370 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14372 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14373 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14374 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14377 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14378 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14379 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14380 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14383 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14384 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14385 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14386 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14387 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14390 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14391 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14392 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14393 Emacs running on MS machines.
14397 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14398 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14399 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14400 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14403 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14404 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14405 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14406 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14408 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14409 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14410 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14411 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14412 into a feature by documenting it.)
14414 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14415 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14416 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14417 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14418 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14419 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14420 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14423 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14424 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14427 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14428 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14431 This can also be done non-destructively with
14432 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14434 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14435 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14436 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14438 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14439 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14441 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14442 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14443 @code{References} headers.
14447 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14448 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14449 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14453 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14454 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14455 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14462 @subsection Duplicates
14464 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14465 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14466 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14467 @cindex duplicate mails
14468 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14469 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14470 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14471 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14472 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14473 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14474 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14475 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14476 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14477 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14478 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14479 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14480 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14482 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14483 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14484 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14485 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14487 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14490 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14491 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14495 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14496 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
14497 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14498 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
14499 (any mail "mail.misc")
14500 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14506 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14507 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14508 ;; @r{Other rules.}
14512 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14513 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14514 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14515 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14516 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14519 @node Not Reading Mail
14520 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14522 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14523 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14524 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14526 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14527 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14528 mail, which should help.
14530 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14531 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14532 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14533 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14534 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14535 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14536 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
14537 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14538 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14539 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14540 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14542 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14543 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14547 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14548 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14550 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14551 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14552 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14554 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14555 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14556 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14560 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14561 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
14562 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14563 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14564 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14565 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14566 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14570 @node Unix Mail Box
14571 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14573 @cindex unix mail box
14575 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14576 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14577 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14578 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14579 which group it belongs in.
14581 Virtual server settings:
14584 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14585 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14586 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14589 @item nnmbox-active-file
14590 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14591 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14592 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14594 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14595 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14596 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14597 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14602 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14606 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14607 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14608 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
14609 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14610 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14612 Virtual server settings:
14615 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14616 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14617 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14619 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14620 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14621 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14622 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14624 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14625 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14626 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14632 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14634 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
14636 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14637 format. It should be used with some caution.
14639 @vindex nnml-directory
14640 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14641 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14642 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14643 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14645 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14648 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14649 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14650 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14651 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14652 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14653 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14654 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14655 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14657 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14658 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14659 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14660 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14662 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14664 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14665 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14666 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14667 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14668 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14669 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14670 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14671 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14674 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14675 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14676 them next time it starts.
14678 Virtual server settings:
14681 @item nnml-directory
14682 @vindex nnml-directory
14683 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14684 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14687 @item nnml-active-file
14688 @vindex nnml-active-file
14689 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14690 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14692 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14693 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14694 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14695 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14697 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14698 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14699 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14702 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14703 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14704 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
14705 default is @code{nil}.
14707 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14708 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14709 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14711 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14712 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14713 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14715 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14716 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14717 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14718 default is @code{nil}.
14720 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14721 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14722 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14724 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14725 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14726 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14731 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14732 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of whack,
14733 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14734 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14735 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14736 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14737 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14742 @subsubsection MH Spool
14744 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14746 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14747 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14748 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14749 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14751 Virtual server settings:
14754 @item nnmh-directory
14755 @vindex nnmh-directory
14756 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14757 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14760 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14761 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14762 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14766 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14767 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14768 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14769 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14770 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14771 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14772 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14777 @subsubsection Maildir
14781 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14782 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14783 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14784 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14785 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14788 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14789 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
14790 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14791 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14792 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14793 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14796 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14797 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14798 data in the filesystem.
14800 nnmaildir stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each maildir. So you
14801 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14804 Virtual server settings:
14808 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14809 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14810 maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
14811 directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
14812 represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
14813 symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
14814 starting with `.' are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
14815 first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
14816 if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
14819 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14820 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14821 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14822 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14823 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14824 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14825 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
14826 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
14827 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
14828 if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
14830 @item target-prefix
14831 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14832 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
14833 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
14836 When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
14837 with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
14838 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
14839 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
14840 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
14841 the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
14842 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
14843 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
14844 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
14846 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
14847 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
14848 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
14849 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
14850 symlinks pointing to them will be).
14852 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
14853 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
14854 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
14855 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
14856 @code{force} argument.
14858 @item directory-files
14859 This should be a function with the same interface as
14860 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14861 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14862 parameter is optional; the default is
14863 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14864 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14865 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14866 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14867 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14868 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14871 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14872 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14873 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14874 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14875 value is @code{nil}.
14877 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14878 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14879 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14880 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14881 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14884 @subsubsection Group parameters
14886 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14887 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14888 behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after one week,
14889 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14890 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14891 duplicate the behavior you already have with another back end.
14893 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14894 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14895 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14896 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14897 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14898 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14899 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14900 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14901 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14905 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14906 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14907 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14908 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14909 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overrideable by
14910 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14911 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14912 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14913 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14914 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14915 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14916 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14919 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
14921 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
14923 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
14924 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
14925 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14926 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14927 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
14928 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
14929 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
14930 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
14931 article. So that form can refer to
14932 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
14933 article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
14934 back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
14935 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
14938 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14939 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14940 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14941 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14942 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14943 directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14944 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14945 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14946 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
14947 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
14948 extra copies of the articles.
14950 @item directory-files
14951 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
14952 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
14953 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
14954 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
14956 @item distrust-Lines:
14957 If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
14958 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
14959 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
14962 A list of mark symbols, such as
14963 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
14964 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
14965 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
14966 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
14967 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14968 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14971 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
14972 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
14973 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
14974 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
14975 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
14976 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14977 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14979 @item nov-cache-size
14980 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To speed
14981 things up, nnmaildir keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory for a limited number of
14982 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
14983 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
14984 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened---i.e.,
14985 when you first start Gnus, typically. The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized
14986 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
14987 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
14988 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
14989 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
14992 @subsubsection Article identification
14993 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
14994 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
14995 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
14996 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
14997 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
14998 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
14999 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
15000 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
15001 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
15002 request the article in the summary buffer.
15004 @subsubsection NOV data
15005 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used to
15006 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
15007 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
15008 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
15009 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically when the
15010 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
15011 nnmaildir to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a single article simply by
15012 deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV} file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
15013 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
15014 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
15016 @subsubsection Article marks
15017 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
15018 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
15019 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
15020 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
15021 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
15022 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
15023 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
15024 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
15026 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
15027 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
15028 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
15029 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
15030 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
15031 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
15032 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
15033 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
15034 changes, and might undo them.
15038 @subsubsection Mail Folders
15040 @cindex mbox folders
15041 @cindex mail folders
15043 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
15044 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
15045 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
15048 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
15050 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
15051 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15052 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15053 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
15054 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
15055 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
15056 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
15057 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
15058 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
15059 @code{nnfolder} directory).
15061 Virtual server settings:
15064 @item nnfolder-directory
15065 @vindex nnfolder-directory
15066 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
15067 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15070 @item nnfolder-active-file
15071 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
15072 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
15074 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15075 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
15076 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15077 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
15079 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
15080 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15081 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
15084 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15085 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
15086 @cindex backup files
15087 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
15088 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
15089 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
15090 your @file{.emacs} file:
15093 (defun turn-off-backup ()
15094 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
15096 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
15099 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15100 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
15101 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
15102 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
15103 extract some information from it before removing it.
15105 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15106 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
15107 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15108 default is @code{nil}.
15110 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15111 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
15112 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
15114 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
15115 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
15116 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
15117 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15119 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15120 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
15121 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15122 default is @code{nil}.
15124 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15125 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
15126 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
15128 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
15129 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
15130 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
15131 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
15136 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
15137 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
15138 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
15139 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
15140 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
15141 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
15144 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
15145 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
15147 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
15148 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
15149 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
15150 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
15151 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
15153 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
15154 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
15155 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
15156 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
15157 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
15158 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
15159 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
15160 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
15163 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
15164 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
15165 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
15166 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
15171 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
15172 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
15173 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
15174 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
15175 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
15176 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
15177 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
15178 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
15179 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
15180 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
15181 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
15182 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
15183 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
15188 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
15189 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
15190 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
15191 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
15192 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
15193 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
15194 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
15195 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
15196 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
15197 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
15198 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
15199 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
15200 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
15201 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
15203 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
15204 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
15209 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
15210 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
15211 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
15212 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
15213 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
15214 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
15215 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
15216 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
15217 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
15218 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
15219 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
15220 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
15221 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
15222 provided by the active file and overviews.
15224 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
15225 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
15226 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
15227 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
15228 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
15231 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
15232 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
15237 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
15238 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
15239 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
15240 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
15241 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
15242 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
15243 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
15247 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
15248 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
15249 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
15250 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
15251 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
15252 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
15253 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
15254 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
15255 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
15257 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
15258 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
15259 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
15260 friendly mail back end all over.
15264 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
15265 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
15268 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
15269 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
15270 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
15271 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
15272 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
15273 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
15274 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
15275 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
15278 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
15279 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
15280 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
15281 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
15282 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
15283 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
15284 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
15285 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
15286 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
15287 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
15288 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
15290 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
15291 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
15292 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15293 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15294 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15297 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15298 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15299 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15300 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15301 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15302 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15303 removed in the future.
15305 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15306 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
15307 on your file system.
15309 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15310 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15315 @node Browsing the Web
15316 @section Browsing the Web
15318 @cindex browsing the web
15322 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15323 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15324 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15325 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15326 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15327 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15328 even know what a news group is.
15330 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15331 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15332 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15333 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15334 you mad in the end.
15336 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15339 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15340 interfaces to these sources.
15344 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15345 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15346 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15347 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15348 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15349 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15352 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15354 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15355 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
15356 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15357 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15358 though, you should be ok.
15360 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15361 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15362 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15363 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15364 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15366 @node Archiving Mail
15367 @subsection Archiving Mail
15368 @cindex archiving mail
15369 @cindex backup of mail
15371 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15372 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15373 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15374 marks is fairly simple.
15376 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15377 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15380 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15381 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15382 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15383 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15384 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15385 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15386 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15387 before you restore the data.
15389 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15390 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15391 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15392 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15393 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15394 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15395 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15396 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15397 is unnecessary in that case.
15400 @subsection Web Searches
15405 @cindex Usenet searches
15406 @cindex searching the Usenet
15408 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15409 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15410 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15411 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15412 searches without having to use a browser.
15414 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15415 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15416 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15417 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15418 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15420 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15421 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15422 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15423 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15424 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15425 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15426 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15427 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15428 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15429 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15432 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15433 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15434 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15435 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15436 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15437 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15439 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15440 to use @code{nnweb}.
15442 Virtual server variables:
15447 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15448 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15449 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15452 @vindex nnweb-search
15453 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15455 @item nnweb-max-hits
15456 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15457 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15460 @item nnweb-type-definition
15461 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15462 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15463 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15468 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15472 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15475 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15478 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15482 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15489 @subsection Slashdot
15493 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
15494 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15495 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15497 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15498 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15501 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15502 '((nnslashdot "")))
15505 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15506 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15507 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15508 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15509 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15512 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15513 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15515 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15516 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
15517 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15518 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15519 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
15520 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15521 @acronym{HTML} forms.
15523 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15526 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15527 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15528 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15529 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15530 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15531 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15532 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15534 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15535 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15536 The login name to use when posting.
15538 @item nnslashdot-password
15539 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15540 The password to use when posting.
15542 @item nnslashdot-directory
15543 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15544 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15545 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15547 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15548 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15549 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15550 news articles and comments. The default is@*
15551 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15553 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15554 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15555 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15557 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15559 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15560 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15561 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15563 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15565 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15566 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15567 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15569 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15570 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15571 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15572 updated. The default is 0.
15579 @subsection Ultimate
15581 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15583 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
15584 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15585 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15586 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15588 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15589 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15590 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15591 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15592 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15593 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15594 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15596 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15599 @item nnultimate-directory
15600 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15601 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
15602 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15607 @subsection Web Archive
15609 @cindex Web Archive
15611 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15612 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15613 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15614 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15617 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15618 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15619 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15620 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
15621 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
15622 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15623 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15624 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15626 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15629 @item nnwarchive-directory
15630 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15631 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
15632 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15634 @item nnwarchive-login
15635 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15636 The account name on the web server.
15638 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15639 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15640 The password for your account on the web server.
15648 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15649 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15650 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15653 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15654 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15657 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15660 @item nnrss-directory
15661 @vindex nnrss-directory
15662 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15663 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15667 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15668 the summary buffer.
15671 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15672 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15674 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15676 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15677 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15680 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15683 (require 'browse-url)
15685 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15687 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15690 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15691 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15694 (browse-url (cdr url))
15695 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15696 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15698 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15699 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15700 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15701 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15704 @node Customizing w3
15705 @subsection Customizing w3
15711 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15712 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15713 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15715 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15716 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15717 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15720 (eval-after-load "w3"
15722 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15723 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15724 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15725 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15727 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15730 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15731 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15738 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
15740 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15741 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
15742 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15743 specify the network address of the server.
15745 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
15746 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
15747 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
15748 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
15749 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
15750 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15752 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
15753 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
15754 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
15755 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
15757 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15758 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15759 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
15760 usage explained in this section.
15762 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP} servers
15763 might look something like the following. (Note that for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you
15764 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15767 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15768 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
15769 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
15771 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15772 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15773 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
15775 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15776 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15777 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15778 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
15779 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15780 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15781 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15782 (nnimap-stream network))
15783 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
15785 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15786 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15787 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15790 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15791 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15792 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15793 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15795 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15800 @item nnimap-address
15801 @vindex nnimap-address
15803 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
15804 server name if not specified.
15806 @item nnimap-server-port
15807 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15808 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
15810 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15813 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15814 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15817 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15818 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15819 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15820 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15821 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
15822 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15823 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15825 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15826 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15827 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15830 Example server specification:
15833 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15834 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15835 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15838 @item nnimap-stream
15839 @vindex nnimap-stream
15840 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15841 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15842 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15843 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15845 Example server specification:
15848 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15849 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15852 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15856 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15857 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
15859 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15861 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15862 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15865 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
15866 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
15868 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15869 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15871 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
15873 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15876 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15877 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15878 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15879 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15880 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15881 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15882 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15883 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15884 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15887 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
15888 needed. It is available from
15889 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
15891 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
15892 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
15893 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
15894 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
15895 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
15896 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
15897 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
15900 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15901 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15902 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15903 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
15904 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15905 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15906 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15909 @vindex imap-shell-program
15910 @vindex imap-shell-host
15911 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15912 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15914 @item nnimap-authenticator
15915 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15917 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15918 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15920 Example server specification:
15923 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15924 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15927 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15931 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15932 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
15934 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15937 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15938 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15940 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15942 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15944 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15947 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15949 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15950 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers has decided that things that
15951 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
15952 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15953 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15954 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15957 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15958 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15959 running in circles yet?
15961 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15962 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15965 The possible options are:
15970 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
15973 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15974 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
15975 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15976 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15978 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15983 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15984 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15986 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
15987 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15988 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15989 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
15990 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
15993 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15994 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
15997 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15998 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15999 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
16000 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
16003 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
16004 as ticked for other users.
16006 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
16008 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
16010 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
16011 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
16012 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
16013 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
16015 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
16016 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
16017 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
16018 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
16020 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
16021 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
16023 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
16024 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
16025 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
16028 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16029 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
16031 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
16032 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
16038 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
16039 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
16040 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
16041 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
16042 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
16047 @node Splitting in IMAP
16048 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
16049 @cindex splitting imap mail
16051 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
16052 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
16053 @acronym{IMAP} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
16054 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @acronym{IMAP}
16055 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
16059 Here are the variables of interest:
16063 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
16064 @cindex splitting, crosspost
16066 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
16068 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
16069 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
16070 found will be used.
16072 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
16074 @item nnimap-split-inbox
16075 @cindex splitting, inbox
16077 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
16079 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
16080 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
16081 splitting is disabled!
16084 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
16085 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
16088 No nnmail equivalent.
16090 @item nnimap-split-rule
16091 @cindex splitting, rules
16092 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
16094 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
16097 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
16098 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
16099 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
16100 Neither did I, we need examples.
16103 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16105 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
16106 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
16107 ("INBOX.private" "")))
16110 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
16111 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
16112 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
16114 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
16115 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
16119 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
16122 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
16123 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
16125 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
16126 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
16127 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
16128 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
16130 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
16131 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
16132 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
16133 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
16134 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
16135 them every time you fetch new mail.)
16137 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
16138 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
16139 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
16141 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
16142 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
16143 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16145 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
16147 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
16148 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
16149 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
16152 (setq nnimap-split-rule
16153 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
16154 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
16155 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
16156 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
16157 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
16160 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
16161 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
16162 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
16163 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
16164 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
16165 group/function elements.
16167 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
16169 @item nnimap-split-predicate
16171 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
16173 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
16174 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
16176 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
16177 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
16178 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
16181 @item nnimap-split-fancy
16182 @cindex splitting, fancy
16183 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
16184 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
16186 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16187 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
16188 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
16190 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
16191 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
16192 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
16193 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
16198 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
16199 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
16202 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
16204 @item nnimap-split-download-body
16205 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
16206 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
16208 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
16209 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
16210 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
16211 splitting function that analyses the body to split the article.
16215 @node Expiring in IMAP
16216 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
16217 @cindex expiring imap mail
16219 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
16220 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
16221 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
16222 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
16223 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
16224 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
16227 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
16228 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
16229 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
16230 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
16231 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
16232 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
16233 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
16234 messages. Most do, fortunately.
16238 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
16239 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16241 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
16242 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
16244 @item nnmail-expiry-target
16246 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
16247 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
16248 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
16249 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
16253 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
16254 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
16255 @cindex editing imap acls
16256 @cindex Access Control Lists
16257 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
16259 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
16261 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
16262 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
16263 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
16266 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
16267 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
16268 editing window with detailed instructions.
16270 Some possible uses:
16274 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
16275 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
16276 follow the list without subscribing to it.
16278 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
16279 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
16280 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
16284 @node Expunging mailboxes
16285 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
16289 @cindex manual expunging
16291 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
16293 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
16294 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
16295 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
16297 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
16300 @node A note on namespaces
16301 @subsection A note on namespaces
16302 @cindex IMAP namespace
16305 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
16306 by the following text in the RFC:
16309 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
16311 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
16312 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
16313 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
16314 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16316 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16317 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16318 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16319 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16320 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16321 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16324 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
16325 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
16326 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16328 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
16329 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
16330 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
16331 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
16332 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
16333 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
16334 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
16335 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
16338 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16339 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16340 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16342 @node Other Sources
16343 @section Other Sources
16345 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16346 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16350 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16351 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16352 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16353 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16354 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16358 @node Directory Groups
16359 @subsection Directory Groups
16361 @cindex directory groups
16363 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16364 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16367 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16368 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16369 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16370 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16372 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16373 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16374 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16375 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16376 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16378 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
16380 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16381 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16382 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16383 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16386 @node Anything Groups
16387 @subsection Anything Groups
16390 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16391 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16392 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16395 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16396 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16397 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16398 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16399 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16400 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16401 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16402 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16403 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16404 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16407 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16408 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16409 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16410 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16412 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16413 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16414 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16415 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16417 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16418 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16419 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16420 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16421 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16422 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16423 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16424 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16429 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16430 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16431 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16432 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16434 @item nneething-exclude-files
16435 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16436 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16437 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16439 @item nneething-include-files
16440 @vindex nneething-include-files
16441 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16442 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16444 @item nneething-map-file
16445 @vindex nneething-map-file
16446 Name of the map files.
16450 @node Document Groups
16451 @subsection Document Groups
16453 @cindex documentation group
16456 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16457 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16464 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
16469 The standard Unix mbox file.
16471 @cindex MMDF mail box
16473 The MMDF mail box format.
16476 Several news articles appended into a file.
16479 @cindex rnews batch files
16480 The rnews batch transport format.
16481 @cindex forwarded messages
16484 Forwarded articles.
16487 Netscape mail boxes.
16490 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
16492 @item standard-digest
16493 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16496 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
16498 @item lanl-gov-announce
16499 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16501 @item rfc822-forward
16502 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16505 The Outlook mail box.
16508 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16511 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16514 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16517 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16523 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16526 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16532 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16533 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16534 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16537 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16538 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16539 group. And that's it.
16541 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16542 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16543 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16544 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16545 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16546 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16547 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16548 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16549 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16550 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16552 Virtual server variables:
16555 @item nndoc-article-type
16556 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16557 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16558 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16559 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16560 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16561 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16563 @item nndoc-post-type
16564 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16565 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16566 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16571 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16575 @node Document Server Internals
16576 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16578 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16579 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16580 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16581 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16583 First, here's an example document type definition:
16587 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16588 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16591 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16592 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16593 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16594 types can be defined with very few settings:
16597 @item first-article
16598 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16599 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16602 @item article-begin
16603 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16604 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16606 @item head-begin-function
16607 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16610 @item nndoc-head-begin
16611 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16614 @item nndoc-head-end
16615 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16616 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16618 @item body-begin-function
16619 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16623 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16626 @item body-end-function
16627 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16631 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16634 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16635 regexp will be totally ignored.
16639 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16640 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16641 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16642 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16643 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16646 @item prepare-body-function
16647 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16648 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16649 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16651 @item article-transform-function
16652 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16653 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16654 body of the article.
16656 @item generate-head-function
16657 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16658 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16659 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16660 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16664 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16669 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16670 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16671 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16672 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16673 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16674 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16675 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16676 (subtype digest guess))
16679 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16680 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16681 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16682 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16683 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16685 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16686 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16687 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16688 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16689 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
16690 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
16691 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
16692 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16693 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
16694 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16695 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
16696 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16704 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16705 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16706 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16708 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16709 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16710 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16713 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16714 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16715 that interested in doing things properly.
16717 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16718 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16721 First some terminology:
16726 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16727 get news and/or mail from.
16730 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16731 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16734 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16738 @item message packets
16739 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16740 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16741 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16743 @item response packets
16744 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16745 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16746 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16756 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16757 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16758 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16759 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16762 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16765 You put the packet in your home directory.
16768 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16769 the native or secondary server.
16772 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16773 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16776 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16780 You transfer this packet to the server.
16783 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16786 You then repeat until you die.
16790 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16791 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16794 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16795 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16796 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16800 @node SOUP Commands
16801 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16803 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16807 @kindex G s b (Group)
16808 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16809 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16810 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16811 process/prefix convention.
16814 @kindex G s w (Group)
16815 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16816 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16819 @kindex G s s (Group)
16820 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16821 Send all replies from the replies packet
16822 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16825 @kindex G s p (Group)
16826 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16827 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16830 @kindex G s r (Group)
16831 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16832 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16835 @kindex O s (Summary)
16836 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16837 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16838 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16839 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16844 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16849 @item gnus-soup-directory
16850 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16851 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16852 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16854 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16855 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16856 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16857 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16859 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16860 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16861 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16862 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16864 @item gnus-soup-packer
16865 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16866 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16867 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16869 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16870 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16871 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16872 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16874 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16875 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16876 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16878 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16879 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16880 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16881 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16887 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16890 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16891 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16892 you can read them at leisure.
16894 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16898 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16899 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16900 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16901 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16903 @item nnsoup-directory
16904 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16905 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16906 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16908 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16909 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16910 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16911 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16913 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16914 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16915 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16916 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16917 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16919 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16920 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16921 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16922 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16924 @item nnsoup-active-file
16925 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16926 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16927 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16928 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16929 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16931 @item nnsoup-packer
16932 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16933 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16934 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16936 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16937 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16938 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16939 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16941 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16942 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16943 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16946 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16947 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16948 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16951 @item nnsoup-always-save
16952 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16953 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16959 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16961 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16962 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16963 more for that to happen.
16965 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16966 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16967 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16970 In specific, this is what it does:
16973 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16974 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16977 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16978 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16979 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16982 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16983 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16984 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16987 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16988 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16989 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16991 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16997 @item nngateway-address
16998 @vindex nngateway-address
16999 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
17001 @item nngateway-header-transformation
17002 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
17003 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
17004 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
17005 transformation should be called, and defaults to
17006 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
17007 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
17010 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
17011 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
17012 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
17015 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
17018 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
17021 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
17024 The following pre-defined functions exist:
17026 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17029 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
17030 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17031 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
17033 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17035 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
17036 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
17037 @code{nngateway-address}.
17045 (setq gnus-post-method
17047 "mail2news@@replay.com"
17048 (nngateway-header-transformation
17049 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
17052 So, to use this, simply say something like:
17055 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
17060 @node Combined Groups
17061 @section Combined Groups
17063 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
17067 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
17068 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
17072 @node Virtual Groups
17073 @subsection Virtual Groups
17075 @cindex virtual groups
17076 @cindex merging groups
17078 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
17081 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
17082 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
17083 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
17085 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
17086 regexp to match component groups.
17088 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
17089 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
17090 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
17091 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
17092 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
17093 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
17094 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
17095 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
17097 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
17098 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
17101 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
17104 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
17105 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
17107 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
17108 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
17109 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
17110 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
17113 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
17116 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
17117 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
17118 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
17120 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
17121 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
17122 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
17123 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
17124 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
17126 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
17127 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
17128 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
17130 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
17131 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
17132 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
17133 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17134 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
17135 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
17136 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
17137 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
17138 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
17139 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
17140 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
17142 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
17143 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
17144 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
17145 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
17146 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
17147 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
17148 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
17150 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
17151 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
17153 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
17154 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
17158 @node Kibozed Groups
17159 @subsection Kibozed Groups
17163 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @acronym{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
17164 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
17165 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server down to a halt
17166 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
17168 @kindex G k (Group)
17169 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
17172 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
17173 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
17174 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
17175 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
17177 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
17178 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
17179 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
17181 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
17182 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
17183 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
17184 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
17185 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
17186 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
17187 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
17188 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
17190 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
17191 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
17192 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
17193 Stranger things have happened.
17195 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
17196 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
17198 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
17199 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
17200 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
17201 contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in the group,
17202 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
17203 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
17205 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
17206 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
17209 @node Gnus Unplugged
17210 @section Gnus Unplugged
17215 @cindex Gnus unplugged
17217 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
17218 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
17219 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
17220 read news. Believe it or not.
17222 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
17223 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
17224 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
17225 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
17226 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
17228 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
17229 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
17230 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
17231 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
17232 reading news on a machine.
17234 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
17235 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
17237 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
17240 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
17241 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
17242 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
17243 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
17244 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
17245 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
17246 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
17247 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
17248 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
17249 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
17250 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
17251 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
17256 @subsection Agent Basics
17258 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
17260 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
17261 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
17262 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
17263 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
17265 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
17266 connected to the net continuously.
17268 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
17269 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
17271 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
17272 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
17273 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
17274 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
17275 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
17277 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
17278 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
17279 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
17280 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
17281 they're kinda like plugged always).
17283 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
17284 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
17285 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
17288 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
17289 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
17290 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
17291 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
17292 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
17294 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
17299 @findex gnus-unplugged
17300 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
17301 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
17302 already fetched while in this mode.
17305 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
17306 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
17307 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
17308 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
17309 Source Specifiers}).
17312 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
17313 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
17314 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
17315 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
17316 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
17319 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
17320 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
17321 then you read the news offline.
17324 And then you go to step 2.
17327 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
17333 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
17334 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
17335 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
17336 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17337 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17338 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17339 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17340 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17343 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
17344 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
17345 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
17346 is probably best to start with a category @xref{Agent Categories}.
17348 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
17349 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
17350 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
17351 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
17352 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
17353 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
17357 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17361 @node Agent Categories
17362 @subsection Agent Categories
17364 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17365 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17366 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17367 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17368 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17369 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17370 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17372 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
17373 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
17374 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
17375 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
17376 buffer for creating and managing categories.
17378 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
17379 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
17380 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
17381 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
17382 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
17385 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
17386 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
17387 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
17388 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
17389 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
17390 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
17394 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17395 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17396 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17400 @node Category Syntax
17401 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17403 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
17404 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
17405 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
17409 @item gnus-agent-cat-name
17410 The name of the category.
17412 @item gnus-agent-cat-groups
17413 The list of groups that are in this category.
17415 @item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
17416 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17417 are eligible for downloading; and
17419 @item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
17420 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17421 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17422 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17424 @item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
17425 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
17426 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
17427 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
17428 only groups that should not be expired.
17430 @item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
17431 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
17432 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
17434 @item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
17435 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
17437 @item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
17438 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
17440 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
17441 an integer that overrides the value of
17442 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
17444 @item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
17445 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
17448 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
17451 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
17452 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
17453 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
17456 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17457 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17458 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17459 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17461 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17462 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17463 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17465 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17466 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17467 operators sprinkled in between.
17469 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17471 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17472 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17478 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17479 short (for some value of ``short'').
17481 Here's a more complex predicate:
17490 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17491 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17494 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17495 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17496 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17498 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17499 you want to do, you can write your own.
17501 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
17502 bound to the value determined by calling
17503 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
17504 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
17505 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
17506 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
17507 predicate to individual groups.
17511 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17512 lines; default 100.
17515 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17516 lines; default 200.
17519 True iff the article has a download score less than
17520 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17523 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17524 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17527 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17528 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17529 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17538 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17539 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17540 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17543 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17544 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17545 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17546 something along the lines of the following:
17549 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17550 "Say whether an article is old."
17551 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17552 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17555 with the predicate then defined as:
17558 (not my-article-old-p)
17561 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17562 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17566 (require 'gnus-agent)
17567 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17568 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17569 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17572 and simply specify your predicate as:
17578 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17579 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17580 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17581 just don't give a damn.
17583 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17584 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17585 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17586 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
17587 parameters like so:
17590 (agent-predicate . short)
17593 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17594 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17595 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17597 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17600 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17603 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17604 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17605 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17608 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17609 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17610 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17611 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17612 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17613 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17615 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17616 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17617 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17618 if it's to be specific to that group.
17620 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17627 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17628 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17634 Category specification
17638 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17644 Group/Topic Parameter specification
17647 (agent-score ("from"
17648 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17653 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17659 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17660 keywords stated above.
17666 Category specification
17669 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17675 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17679 Group Parameter specification
17682 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17685 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17690 Use @code{normal} score files
17692 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17693 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17694 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17695 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17697 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17698 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17699 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17700 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17704 Category Specification
17711 Group Parameter specification
17714 (agent-score . file)
17719 @node Category Buffer
17720 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17722 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17723 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17724 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17726 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17730 @kindex q (Category)
17731 @findex gnus-category-exit
17732 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17735 @kindex e (Category)
17736 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
17737 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
17738 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
17741 @kindex k (Category)
17742 @findex gnus-category-kill
17743 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17746 @kindex c (Category)
17747 @findex gnus-category-copy
17748 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17751 @kindex a (Category)
17752 @findex gnus-category-add
17753 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17756 @kindex p (Category)
17757 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17758 Edit the predicate of the current category
17759 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17762 @kindex g (Category)
17763 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17764 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17765 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17768 @kindex s (Category)
17769 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17770 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17771 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17774 @kindex l (Category)
17775 @findex gnus-category-list
17776 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17780 @node Category Variables
17781 @subsubsection Category Variables
17784 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17785 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17786 Hook run in category buffers.
17788 @item gnus-category-line-format
17789 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17790 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17791 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17795 The name of the category.
17798 The number of groups in the category.
17801 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17802 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17803 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17805 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17806 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17807 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17809 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17810 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17811 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17813 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17814 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17815 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17818 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17819 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17820 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17823 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
17824 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17825 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
17826 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
17827 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
17828 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
17829 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
17830 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
17834 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17835 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
17836 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
17837 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
17838 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
17839 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
17840 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
17845 @node Agent Commands
17846 @subsection Agent Commands
17847 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17848 @kindex J j (Agent)
17850 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17851 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17852 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17856 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17857 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17858 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17864 @node Group Agent Commands
17865 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17869 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17870 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17871 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17872 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17875 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17876 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17877 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17880 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17881 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17882 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17883 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17886 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17887 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17888 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17889 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17892 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17893 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17894 Add the current group to an Agent category
17895 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17896 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17899 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17900 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17901 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17902 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17903 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17906 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17907 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17908 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17914 @node Summary Agent Commands
17915 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17919 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17920 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17921 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17924 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17925 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17926 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17927 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17931 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17932 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17933 Toggle whether to download the article
17934 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
17938 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17939 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17940 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17943 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17944 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17945 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17946 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17949 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17950 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17951 Download all processable articles in this group.
17952 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17955 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17956 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17957 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17958 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17963 @node Server Agent Commands
17964 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17968 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17969 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17970 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17971 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17974 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17975 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17976 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17977 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17982 @node Agent as Cache
17983 @subsection Agent as Cache
17985 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17986 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17987 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17988 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17989 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17990 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17991 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17992 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17993 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17995 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17996 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
17997 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
17998 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
17999 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
18002 @subsection Agent Expiry
18004 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
18005 @findex gnus-agent-expire
18006 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
18007 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
18008 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
18009 @cindex agent expiry
18010 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
18013 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
18014 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
18015 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
18016 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
18017 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
18018 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
18019 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
18020 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
18022 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
18023 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
18024 synchronized with the group.
18026 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
18027 prevent expiration in selected groups.
18029 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
18030 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
18031 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
18032 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
18033 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
18034 be kept indefinitely.
18036 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
18037 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
18038 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
18039 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
18041 @node Agent Regeneration
18042 @subsection Agent Regeneration
18044 @cindex agent regeneration
18045 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
18046 @cindex regeneration
18048 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
18049 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
18050 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
18051 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
18052 internal inconsistencies.
18054 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
18055 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
18056 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
18057 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
18058 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
18059 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
18061 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
18062 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
18063 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
18064 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
18065 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
18066 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
18068 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18069 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
18070 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
18071 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
18072 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
18073 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
18076 @node Agent and IMAP
18077 @subsection Agent and IMAP
18079 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
18080 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
18081 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
18082 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
18084 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
18085 are kept on the @acronym{IMAP} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
18086 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
18087 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
18089 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
18090 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
18091 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
18092 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
18094 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
18095 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
18096 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
18097 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
18098 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
18099 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
18101 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
18102 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
18103 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
18104 in the group buffer.
18106 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
18107 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
18112 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
18115 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
18119 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
18120 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
18121 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
18122 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
18123 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
18124 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
18125 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
18126 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
18129 @node Outgoing Messages
18130 @subsection Outgoing Messages
18132 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
18133 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
18134 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
18136 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
18137 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
18138 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
18139 messages in the draft group.
18143 @node Agent Variables
18144 @subsection Agent Variables
18147 @item gnus-agent-directory
18148 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
18149 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
18150 @file{~/News/agent/}.
18152 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
18153 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
18154 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
18155 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
18156 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
18159 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18160 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
18161 Hook run when connecting to the network.
18163 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18164 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
18165 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
18167 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18168 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
18169 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
18171 @item gnus-agent-cache
18172 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
18173 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
18174 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
18175 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
18177 @item gnus-agent-go-online
18178 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
18179 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
18180 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
18181 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
18182 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
18183 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
18186 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18187 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
18188 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
18189 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
18190 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
18191 read. The default is t.
18193 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18194 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
18195 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
18196 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
18197 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
18199 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18200 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
18201 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
18202 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
18203 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
18204 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
18205 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
18206 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
18207 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
18208 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
18209 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
18210 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
18213 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
18214 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
18215 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
18216 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
18217 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
18218 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
18219 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
18220 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
18221 is only valid if the Agent is used.
18223 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18224 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
18225 Another variable that isn't a Agent variable, yet so closely related
18226 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
18227 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
18228 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
18230 The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
18231 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
18232 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
18233 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
18234 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
18239 @node Example Setup
18240 @subsection Example Setup
18242 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
18243 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
18244 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
18247 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
18248 ;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
18249 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
18251 ;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
18252 ;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
18253 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
18255 ;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
18256 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
18258 ;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
18259 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
18260 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
18263 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
18264 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
18267 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
18268 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
18269 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
18270 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
18271 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
18274 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
18275 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
18276 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
18277 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
18278 back all the killed groups.)
18280 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
18281 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
18282 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
18285 @node Batching Agents
18286 @subsection Batching Agents
18287 @findex gnus-agent-batch
18289 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
18290 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
18291 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
18293 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
18294 following incantation:
18298 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
18302 @node Agent Caveats
18303 @subsection Agent Caveats
18305 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
18306 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
18310 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
18312 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
18313 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
18314 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
18316 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
18317 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
18319 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
18323 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
18324 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
18325 locally stored articles.
18332 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
18333 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
18334 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
18337 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
18338 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
18339 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
18340 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
18341 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
18343 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
18344 before generating the summary buffer.
18346 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
18347 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
18348 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
18350 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
18351 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
18352 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
18353 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
18356 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
18357 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
18358 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
18359 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
18360 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
18361 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
18362 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
18363 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
18364 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
18365 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
18366 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
18367 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
18368 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
18369 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
18370 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
18371 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
18372 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
18376 @node Summary Score Commands
18377 @section Summary Score Commands
18378 @cindex score commands
18380 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
18381 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
18382 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
18383 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
18384 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
18386 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
18387 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
18388 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
18389 score file the current one.
18391 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
18396 @kindex V s (Summary)
18397 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
18398 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
18401 @kindex V S (Summary)
18402 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
18403 Display the score of the current article
18404 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
18407 @kindex V t (Summary)
18408 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
18409 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
18410 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
18411 can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
18412 When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
18413 bring you to this string in the score file.
18416 @kindex V w (Summary)
18417 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
18418 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
18421 @kindex V R (Summary)
18422 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
18423 Run the current summary through the scoring process
18424 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
18425 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
18426 effect you're having.
18429 @kindex V c (Summary)
18430 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
18431 Make a different score file the current
18432 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
18435 @kindex V e (Summary)
18436 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
18437 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
18438 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
18442 @kindex V f (Summary)
18443 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
18444 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
18445 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
18448 @kindex V F (Summary)
18449 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18450 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
18451 after editing score files.
18454 @kindex V C (Summary)
18455 @findex gnus-score-customize
18456 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18457 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18461 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18466 @kindex V m (Summary)
18467 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18468 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18469 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18472 @kindex V x (Summary)
18473 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18474 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18475 expunge all articles below this score
18476 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18479 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18480 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18483 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18484 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18488 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18489 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18491 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18492 keys are available:
18496 Score on the author name.
18499 Score on the subject line.
18502 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18505 Score on the @code{References} line.
18511 Score on the number of lines.
18514 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18517 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18518 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18521 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18522 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18523 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18532 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18538 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18539 what headers you are scoring on.
18551 Substring matching.
18554 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18583 Greater than number.
18588 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18589 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18590 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18595 Temporary score entry.
18598 Permanent score entry.
18601 Immediately scoring.
18605 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18606 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18607 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18611 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18612 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18613 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18614 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18616 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18617 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18618 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18619 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18620 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18622 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18623 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18624 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18625 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18626 current score file.
18628 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18629 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18630 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18633 @node Group Score Commands
18634 @section Group Score Commands
18635 @cindex group score commands
18637 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18642 @kindex W f (Group)
18643 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18644 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18645 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18646 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18650 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18652 @findex gnus-batch-score
18653 @cindex batch scoring
18655 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18659 @node Score Variables
18660 @section Score Variables
18661 @cindex score variables
18665 @item gnus-use-scoring
18666 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18667 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18668 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18670 @item gnus-kill-killed
18671 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18672 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18673 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18674 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18675 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18676 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18677 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18679 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18680 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18681 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18682 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18683 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18685 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18686 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18687 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18688 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18690 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18691 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18692 @cindex score cache
18693 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18694 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18695 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18696 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18697 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18698 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18699 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18702 @item gnus-save-score
18703 @vindex gnus-save-score
18704 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18705 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18706 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18708 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18709 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18710 across group visits.
18712 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18713 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18714 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18715 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18716 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18717 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18718 manually entered data.
18720 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18721 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18722 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18724 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18725 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18726 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18727 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18728 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18729 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18731 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18732 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18733 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18734 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18736 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18737 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18738 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18739 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18741 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18742 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18743 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18744 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18746 Predefined functions available are:
18749 @item gnus-score-find-single
18750 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18751 Only apply the group's own score file.
18753 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18754 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18755 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18756 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18757 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18758 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18759 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18760 then a regexp match is done.
18762 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18763 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18765 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18766 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18767 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18768 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18770 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18771 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18772 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18773 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18774 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18778 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18779 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18780 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18781 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18782 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18783 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18784 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18787 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18788 overall score file, you could use the value
18790 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18791 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18794 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18795 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18796 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18797 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18798 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18800 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18801 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18802 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18803 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18804 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18805 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18806 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18807 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18809 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18810 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18811 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18813 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18814 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18815 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
18816 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18817 threading---according to the current value of
18818 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
18819 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18820 simplified in this manner.
18825 @node Score File Format
18826 @section Score File Format
18827 @cindex score file format
18829 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18830 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18831 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18833 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18837 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18839 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18841 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18843 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18848 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18852 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18853 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18854 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18855 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18859 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18860 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18862 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
18863 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18864 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18866 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18871 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18872 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18873 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18874 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18875 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18876 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18877 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18878 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18879 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18880 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18881 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18882 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18883 to articles that matches these score entries.
18885 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18886 score entry has one to four elements.
18890 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18891 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18895 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18896 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18897 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18898 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18899 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18900 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18903 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18904 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18905 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18906 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18907 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18910 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18911 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18912 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18913 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18916 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18917 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18918 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18919 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18920 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18921 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18922 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18923 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18924 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18925 instead, if you feel like.
18928 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18929 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18930 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18931 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18932 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18933 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18936 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18940 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18941 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18943 These predicates are true if
18946 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18949 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18950 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18957 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18958 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18959 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18960 it's not. I think.)
18962 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18963 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18964 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18965 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18968 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18969 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18970 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18971 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18972 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18973 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18974 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18978 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18979 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18980 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18981 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18982 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18983 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18984 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18985 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18988 @item Head, Body, All
18989 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18993 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18994 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18995 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18996 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18997 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18998 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18999 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
19003 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
19004 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
19005 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
19006 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
19007 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
19008 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
19009 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
19010 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
19011 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
19012 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
19013 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
19017 @cindex score file atoms
19019 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19020 lower than this number will be marked as read.
19023 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19024 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
19026 @item mark-and-expunge
19027 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
19028 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
19031 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
19032 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
19033 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
19034 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
19035 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
19038 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
19039 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
19042 @item exclude-files
19043 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
19044 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
19048 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
19049 ignored when handling global score files.
19052 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
19053 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
19054 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
19055 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
19058 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
19059 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
19060 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
19061 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
19063 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
19067 (mark-and-expunge -100)
19070 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
19071 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
19072 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
19073 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
19074 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
19076 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
19077 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
19078 scoring rules exist.
19081 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
19082 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
19083 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
19084 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
19085 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
19086 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
19087 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19088 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
19089 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
19090 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
19091 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
19095 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
19096 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
19097 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
19098 file for a number of groups.
19101 @cindex local variables
19102 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
19103 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
19104 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
19105 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
19106 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
19111 @node Score File Editing
19112 @section Score File Editing
19114 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
19115 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
19116 with a mode for that.
19118 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
19119 additional commands:
19124 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
19125 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
19126 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
19127 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
19130 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
19131 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
19132 Insert the current date in numerical format
19133 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
19134 you were wondering.
19137 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
19138 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
19139 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
19140 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
19141 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
19146 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
19148 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
19149 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
19151 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
19152 e} to begin editing score files.
19155 @node Adaptive Scoring
19156 @section Adaptive Scoring
19157 @cindex adaptive scoring
19159 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
19160 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
19161 stupidity, to be precise.
19163 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
19164 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
19165 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
19166 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
19167 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
19168 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
19169 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
19170 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
19171 variable to @code{(word line)}.
19173 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19174 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
19175 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
19176 might look something like this:
19179 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
19180 '((gnus-unread-mark)
19181 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
19182 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
19183 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
19184 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
19185 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
19186 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
19187 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
19188 (gnus-ancient-mark)
19189 (gnus-low-score-mark)
19190 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
19193 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
19194 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
19195 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
19196 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
19197 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
19198 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
19201 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
19202 will be applied to each article.
19204 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
19205 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
19206 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
19207 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
19209 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
19210 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
19211 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
19212 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
19214 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
19215 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
19216 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
19217 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
19219 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
19220 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
19221 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
19222 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
19223 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
19224 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
19226 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
19227 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
19228 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
19230 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
19231 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
19232 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
19234 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
19235 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
19236 let you use different rules in different groups.
19238 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
19239 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
19240 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
19243 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
19244 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
19245 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
19246 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
19247 the length of the match is less than
19248 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
19249 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
19252 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19253 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
19254 headers. If you adapt on words, the
19255 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
19256 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
19259 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
19260 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
19261 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
19262 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
19263 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
19266 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
19267 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
19268 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
19269 score with 30 points.
19271 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
19272 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
19273 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
19274 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
19275 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
19277 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
19278 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
19279 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
19280 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
19281 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
19283 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
19284 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
19285 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
19286 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
19288 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
19289 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
19290 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
19291 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
19293 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
19294 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
19295 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
19296 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
19297 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
19299 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
19300 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
19301 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
19303 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
19304 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
19305 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
19306 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
19309 @node Home Score File
19310 @section Home Score File
19312 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
19313 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
19314 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
19315 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
19317 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
19318 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
19319 could perhaps use the same home score file.
19321 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
19322 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
19327 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
19331 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
19332 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
19336 A list. The elements in this list can be:
19340 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
19341 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
19344 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
19345 be used as the home score file.
19348 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
19351 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
19356 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
19359 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19360 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
19363 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
19364 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
19366 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
19368 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19369 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
19372 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
19373 Other functions include
19376 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
19377 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
19378 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
19379 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
19383 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
19384 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
19385 their own home score files:
19388 (setq gnus-home-score-file
19389 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
19390 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
19391 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
19392 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
19395 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
19396 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
19397 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
19398 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
19399 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
19401 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
19402 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
19403 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
19404 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
19405 precedence over this variable.
19408 @node Followups To Yourself
19409 @section Followups To Yourself
19411 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
19412 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
19413 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
19414 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
19415 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
19416 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
19420 @item gnus-score-followup-article
19421 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
19422 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
19425 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
19426 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
19427 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
19431 @vindex message-sent-hook
19432 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
19433 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
19435 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
19439 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
19440 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
19444 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19445 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
19448 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
19449 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19454 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19458 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19459 is system-dependent.
19462 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19463 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19464 @cindex scoring on other headers
19466 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19467 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19468 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19469 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19470 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19472 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19473 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
19474 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
19475 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
19476 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19478 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
19481 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19482 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19485 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19486 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19487 time if you have much mail.
19489 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19490 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19496 @section Scoring Tips
19497 @cindex scoring tips
19503 @cindex scoring crossposts
19504 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19505 the @code{Xref} header.
19507 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19510 @item Multiple crossposts
19511 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19512 more than, say, 3 groups:
19515 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19519 @item Matching on the body
19520 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19521 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19522 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19523 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19524 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19525 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19526 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19529 @item Marking as read
19530 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19531 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19532 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19536 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19538 @item Negated character classes
19539 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19540 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19541 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19545 @node Reverse Scoring
19546 @section Reverse Scoring
19547 @cindex reverse scoring
19549 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19550 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19551 like this in your score file:
19555 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19560 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19561 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19564 @node Global Score Files
19565 @section Global Score Files
19566 @cindex global score files
19568 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19569 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19570 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19572 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19573 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19574 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19576 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19577 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19578 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19579 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19580 files are applicable to which group.
19582 To use the score file
19583 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19584 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19588 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19589 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19590 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19593 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19595 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19596 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19597 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19598 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19600 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19601 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19603 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19604 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19605 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19606 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19607 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19608 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19610 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19616 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19618 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19620 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19622 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19623 lowered out of existence.
19625 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19626 articles completely.
19629 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19630 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19631 old articles for a long time.
19634 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19635 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19636 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19637 holding our breath yet?
19641 @section Kill Files
19644 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19645 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19646 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19648 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19649 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19650 files into score files.
19652 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19653 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19654 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19655 that isn't a very good idea.
19657 Normal kill files look like this:
19660 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19661 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19665 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19666 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19668 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19669 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19672 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
19677 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19678 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19679 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19682 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19683 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19684 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19687 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19692 @kindex M-k (Group)
19693 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19694 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19697 @kindex M-K (Group)
19698 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19699 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19702 Kill file variables:
19705 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19706 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19707 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19708 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19709 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19710 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19711 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19713 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19714 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19715 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19716 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19719 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19720 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19721 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19722 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19723 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19724 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19725 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19726 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19727 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19729 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19730 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19731 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19736 @node Converting Kill Files
19737 @section Converting Kill Files
19739 @cindex converting kill files
19741 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19742 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19743 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19746 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19747 You can fetch it from
19748 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19750 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19751 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19752 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19760 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/, GroupLens} is a
19761 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19762 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19763 news articles generated every day.
19765 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19766 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19767 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19768 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19769 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19770 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19771 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19772 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19775 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19776 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19779 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19780 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19781 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19782 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19786 @node Using GroupLens
19787 @subsection Using GroupLens
19789 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local
19790 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html, Better Bit
19791 Bureau (BBB)} is the only better bit in town at the moment.
19793 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19797 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19798 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19799 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19800 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19802 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19803 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19804 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19805 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19807 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19808 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19809 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19813 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19814 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19815 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19816 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19817 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19818 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19821 @node Rating Articles
19822 @subsection Rating Articles
19824 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19825 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19826 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19827 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19830 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19835 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19836 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19837 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19840 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19841 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19842 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19843 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19844 threads in rec.humor.
19848 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19849 the score of the article you're reading.
19854 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19855 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19856 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19859 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19860 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19861 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19865 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19866 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19869 @node Displaying Predictions
19870 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19872 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19873 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19874 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19875 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19876 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19878 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19879 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19880 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19881 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19882 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19883 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19884 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19885 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19886 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19887 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19888 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19889 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19890 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19892 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19893 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19894 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19895 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19897 The following are valid values for that variable.
19900 @item prediction-spot
19901 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19904 @item confidence-interval
19905 A numeric confidence interval.
19907 @item prediction-bar
19908 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19910 @item confidence-bar
19911 Numerical confidence.
19913 @item confidence-spot
19914 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19916 @item prediction-num
19917 Plain-old numeric value.
19919 @item confidence-plus-minus
19920 Prediction +/- confidence.
19925 @node GroupLens Variables
19926 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19930 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19931 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19932 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19933 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19936 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19937 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19940 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19941 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19943 @item grouplens-score-offset
19944 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19945 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19948 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19949 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19950 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19955 @node Advanced Scoring
19956 @section Advanced Scoring
19958 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19959 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19960 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19961 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19962 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19964 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19968 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19969 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19970 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19974 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19975 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19977 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19978 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19979 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19980 non-@code{nil} value.
19982 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19983 operator, and various match operators.
19990 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19991 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19992 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19997 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19998 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19999 then this operator will return @code{false}.
20004 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
20005 logical negation of the value of its argument.
20009 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
20010 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
20011 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
20012 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
20013 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
20014 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
20015 the ancestry you want to go.
20017 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
20018 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
20019 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
20020 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
20021 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
20024 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
20025 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
20027 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
20028 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
20031 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
20032 when he's talking about Gnus:
20037 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20038 ("subject" "Gnus"))
20045 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
20049 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20056 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
20057 really don't want to read what he's written:
20061 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
20062 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
20066 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
20067 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
20068 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
20075 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
20076 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
20077 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
20078 ("body" "white.*socks"))
20082 The possibilities are endless.
20085 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
20086 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
20088 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
20089 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
20090 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
20091 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
20092 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
20093 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
20094 @samp{subject}) first.
20096 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
20097 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
20108 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
20109 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
20115 ("subject" "Gnus")))
20122 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
20123 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
20128 @section Score Decays
20129 @cindex score decays
20132 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
20133 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
20134 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
20135 use them in any sensible way.
20137 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
20138 @findex gnus-decay-score
20139 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
20140 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
20141 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
20142 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
20143 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
20144 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
20145 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
20146 definition of that function:
20149 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
20151 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
20152 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
20155 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
20157 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
20159 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
20162 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
20163 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
20164 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
20165 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
20169 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
20172 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
20175 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
20179 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
20180 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
20181 the new score, which should be an integer.
20183 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
20184 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
20189 @include message.texi
20190 @chapter Emacs MIME
20191 @include emacs-mime.texi
20193 @include sieve.texi
20203 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
20204 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
20205 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
20206 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
20207 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
20208 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
20209 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
20210 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
20211 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
20212 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
20213 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
20214 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
20215 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
20216 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
20217 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
20218 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
20219 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
20220 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
20221 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
20225 @node Process/Prefix
20226 @section Process/Prefix
20227 @cindex process/prefix convention
20229 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
20230 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
20232 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
20233 command to be performed on.
20237 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
20238 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
20239 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
20240 with the current one.
20242 @vindex transient-mark-mode
20243 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
20244 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
20246 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
20247 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
20250 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
20251 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
20253 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
20256 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
20257 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
20258 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
20259 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20261 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
20262 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
20263 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
20264 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
20265 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
20266 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
20267 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
20268 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
20270 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
20271 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
20272 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
20273 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
20274 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
20278 @section Interactive
20279 @cindex interaction
20283 @item gnus-novice-user
20284 @vindex gnus-novice-user
20285 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
20286 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
20287 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
20288 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
20291 @item gnus-expert-user
20292 @vindex gnus-expert-user
20293 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
20294 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
20295 matter how strange.
20297 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
20298 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
20299 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
20300 is @code{t} by default.
20302 @item gnus-interactive-exit
20303 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
20304 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20309 @node Symbolic Prefixes
20310 @section Symbolic Prefixes
20311 @cindex symbolic prefixes
20313 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
20314 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
20315 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
20316 rule of 900 to the current article.
20318 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
20319 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
20320 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
20321 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
20322 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
20323 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
20324 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
20326 @kindex M-i (Summary)
20327 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
20328 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
20329 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
20330 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
20331 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
20332 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
20333 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
20334 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
20336 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
20337 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
20338 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
20340 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
20344 @node Formatting Variables
20345 @section Formatting Variables
20346 @cindex formatting variables
20348 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
20349 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
20350 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
20351 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
20352 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
20355 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
20356 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
20357 lots of percentages everywhere.
20360 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
20361 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
20362 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
20363 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
20364 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
20365 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
20366 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
20367 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
20370 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
20371 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
20372 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
20373 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
20374 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
20375 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
20376 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
20377 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
20379 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
20380 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
20382 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
20383 @findex gnus-update-format
20384 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
20385 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
20386 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
20387 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
20391 @node Formatting Basics
20392 @subsection Formatting Basics
20394 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
20395 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
20396 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
20398 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
20399 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
20400 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
20401 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
20402 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
20405 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
20406 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
20407 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
20408 less than 4 characters wide.
20410 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
20411 @samp{%&user-date;}.
20414 @node Mode Line Formatting
20415 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
20417 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
20418 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
20419 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
20420 with the following two differences:
20425 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
20428 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
20429 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
20430 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
20431 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
20432 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
20433 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
20434 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
20439 @node Advanced Formatting
20440 @subsection Advanced Formatting
20442 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
20443 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
20444 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
20445 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
20447 These are the valid modifiers:
20452 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20456 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20461 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20464 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20469 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20472 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20475 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20478 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20484 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20489 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20490 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20491 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20492 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20493 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20494 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20495 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20497 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20498 last operation, padding.
20500 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20501 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20502 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20503 @xref{Compilation}.
20506 @node User-Defined Specs
20507 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20509 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20510 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20511 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20512 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20513 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20514 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20515 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20516 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20517 should protect against that.
20519 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20520 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20522 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20523 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20524 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20525 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20529 @node Formatting Fonts
20530 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20532 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20533 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20534 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20535 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20538 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20539 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20540 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20541 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20542 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20543 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20545 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20546 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
20547 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
20548 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
20549 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
20550 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
20551 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
20552 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
20553 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
20554 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
20555 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
20558 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20561 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
20562 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20563 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20565 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
20566 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
20567 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
20568 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20569 ;; @r{Set the color.}
20570 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20571 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20573 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
20574 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20575 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20578 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20579 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20581 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20582 mode-line variables.
20584 @node Positioning Point
20585 @subsection Positioning Point
20587 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20588 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20589 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20591 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20593 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20594 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20595 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20597 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20598 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20599 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20604 @subsection Tabulation
20606 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20607 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20608 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20609 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20611 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
20612 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20614 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20615 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20616 This is the soft tabulator.
20618 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20619 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20620 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20623 @node Wide Characters
20624 @subsection Wide Characters
20626 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20627 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20628 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20630 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20631 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20632 these countries, that's not true.
20634 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20635 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20636 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20637 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20641 @node Window Layout
20642 @section Window Layout
20643 @cindex window layout
20645 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20647 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20648 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20649 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20650 @code{t} by default.
20652 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20653 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20655 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20656 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20657 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20660 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20661 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20662 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20666 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20667 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20668 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20669 possible names is listed below.
20671 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20672 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20675 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20679 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20680 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20681 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20682 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20683 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20684 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20685 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20686 size spec per split.
20688 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20689 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20690 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20691 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20692 present) gets focus.
20694 Here's a more complicated example:
20697 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20698 (summary 0.25 point)
20699 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20703 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20704 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20705 occupy, not a percentage.
20707 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20708 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20709 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20710 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20711 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20714 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20717 (article (horizontal 1.0
20722 (summary 0.25 point)
20727 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20728 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20730 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20731 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20732 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20733 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20734 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20736 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20737 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20738 lines from the splits.
20740 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20745 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20746 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20747 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20748 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20749 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20750 size = number | frame-params
20751 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20755 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20756 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20757 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20758 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20760 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20761 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20762 @cindex window height
20763 @cindex window width
20764 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20765 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20766 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20767 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20768 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20769 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20771 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20772 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20773 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20774 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20776 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20777 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20778 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20779 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20780 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20781 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20782 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20783 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20784 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20785 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20786 configuration list.
20789 (gnus-configure-frame
20793 (article 0.3 point))
20801 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20802 @code{frame} split:
20805 (gnus-configure-frame
20808 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20810 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20811 (user-position . t)
20812 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20817 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20818 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20819 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20820 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20821 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20822 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20823 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20824 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20826 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20827 be found in its default value.
20829 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20830 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20831 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20835 (message (horizontal 1.0
20836 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20838 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20843 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20844 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20845 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20850 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20851 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20852 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20853 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20854 (name . "Message"))
20855 (message 1.0 point))))
20858 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20859 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20860 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20861 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20862 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20865 (gnus-add-configuration
20866 '(article (vertical 1.0
20868 (summary .25 point)
20872 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20873 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20874 Gnus has been loaded.
20876 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20877 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20878 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20879 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20880 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20882 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20883 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20884 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20887 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20891 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20892 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20907 (gnus-add-configuration
20910 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20912 (summary 0.16 point)
20915 (gnus-add-configuration
20918 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20919 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20925 @node Faces and Fonts
20926 @section Faces and Fonts
20931 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20932 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20933 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20938 @section Compilation
20939 @cindex compilation
20940 @cindex byte-compilation
20942 @findex gnus-compile
20944 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20945 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20946 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
20947 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20948 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20949 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20952 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20953 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20954 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20955 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
20956 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
20957 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
20958 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
20962 @section Mode Lines
20965 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20966 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20967 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20968 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20969 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20970 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20971 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20974 @cindex display-time
20976 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20977 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20978 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20979 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20980 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20981 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20982 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20983 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20986 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20988 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20989 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20991 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20992 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20993 (length display-time-string)))))
20996 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20997 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20998 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20999 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
21000 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
21003 @node Highlighting and Menus
21004 @section Highlighting and Menus
21006 @cindex highlighting
21009 @vindex gnus-visual
21010 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
21011 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
21012 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
21015 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
21016 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
21019 @item group-highlight
21020 Do highlights in the group buffer.
21021 @item summary-highlight
21022 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
21023 @item article-highlight
21024 Do highlights in the article buffer.
21026 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
21028 Create menus in the group buffer.
21030 Create menus in the summary buffers.
21032 Create menus in the article buffer.
21034 Create menus in the browse buffer.
21036 Create menus in the server buffer.
21038 Create menus in the score buffers.
21040 Create menus in all buffers.
21043 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
21044 buffers, you could say something like:
21047 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
21050 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
21053 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
21056 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
21057 in all Gnus buffers.
21059 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
21062 @item gnus-mouse-face
21063 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
21064 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
21065 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
21069 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
21073 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
21074 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
21075 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
21077 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
21078 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
21079 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
21081 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
21082 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
21083 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
21085 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
21086 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
21087 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
21089 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
21090 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
21091 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
21093 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
21094 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
21095 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
21106 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
21107 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
21108 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
21109 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
21110 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
21114 @vindex gnus-carpal
21115 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
21116 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
21117 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
21122 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21123 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
21124 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
21126 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
21127 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
21128 Face used on buttons.
21130 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
21131 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
21132 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
21134 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21135 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
21136 Buttons in the group buffer.
21138 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21139 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
21140 Buttons in the summary buffer.
21142 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21143 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
21144 Buttons in the server buffer.
21146 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21147 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
21148 Buttons in the browse buffer.
21151 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
21152 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
21153 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
21161 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
21162 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
21163 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
21164 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
21165 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
21167 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
21168 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
21169 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
21171 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
21172 been idle for thirty minutes:
21175 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
21178 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
21182 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
21185 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
21186 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
21187 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21189 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
21190 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
21191 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
21192 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
21194 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
21195 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
21196 @var{idle} minutes.
21198 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
21199 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
21202 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
21203 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
21204 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
21206 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
21207 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
21208 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
21209 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
21211 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
21212 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21214 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
21216 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
21219 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
21220 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
21221 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
21222 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
21223 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
21224 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
21225 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
21226 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
21227 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
21228 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
21229 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
21231 @findex gnus-demon-init
21232 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
21233 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
21234 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
21235 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
21236 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
21238 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
21239 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
21240 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
21249 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
21250 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
21252 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
21253 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
21254 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
21255 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
21258 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
21259 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
21260 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
21261 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
21263 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
21264 this will make spam disappear.
21266 There are some variables to customize, of course:
21269 @item gnus-use-nocem
21270 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
21271 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
21274 @item gnus-nocem-groups
21275 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
21276 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
21279 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
21280 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
21283 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
21284 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
21285 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
21286 people you want to listen to. The default is
21288 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
21289 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
21291 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
21293 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
21294 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
21296 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
21297 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
21298 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
21299 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
21300 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
21301 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
21302 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
21303 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
21304 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
21305 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
21307 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
21308 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
21311 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
21314 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
21315 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
21318 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
21321 The specs are applied left-to-right.
21324 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
21325 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
21327 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
21328 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
21329 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
21330 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
21332 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
21333 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
21336 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
21338 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
21346 This might be dangerous, though.
21348 @item gnus-nocem-directory
21349 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
21350 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
21351 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
21353 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21354 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
21355 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
21356 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
21357 might then see old spam.
21359 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
21360 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
21361 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
21362 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
21363 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
21366 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21367 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
21368 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
21369 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
21373 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
21374 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
21375 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
21376 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
21383 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
21384 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
21385 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
21387 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
21388 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
21389 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
21390 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
21391 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
21392 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
21393 @code{undo} function.
21395 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
21396 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
21397 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
21398 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
21399 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
21400 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
21401 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
21402 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
21403 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
21404 never be totally undoable.
21406 @findex gnus-undo-mode
21407 @vindex gnus-use-undo
21409 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
21410 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
21411 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
21412 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
21416 @node Predicate Specifiers
21417 @section Predicate Specifiers
21418 @cindex predicate specifiers
21420 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
21421 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
21422 to type all that much.
21424 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
21429 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
21430 gnus-article-unread-p)
21433 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
21434 functions all take one parameter.
21436 @findex gnus-make-predicate
21437 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
21438 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
21439 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
21444 @section Moderation
21447 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
21448 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
21449 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
21452 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
21456 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
21459 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21461 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21466 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21467 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21468 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21471 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21472 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21475 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21476 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21480 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21483 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21484 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21488 @node Image Enhancements
21489 @section Image Enhancements
21491 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
21492 support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
21493 taken advantage of that.
21496 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21497 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21498 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21499 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21512 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21513 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
21514 over your shoulder as you read news.
21516 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21525 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21526 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21527 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21528 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21529 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21530 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21531 @code{GIF} formats.
21534 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21535 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21536 point your Web browser at
21537 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21539 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21540 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21542 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21543 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21546 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21550 @item gnus-picon-databases
21551 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21552 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21553 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21554 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21555 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21557 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21558 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21559 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21560 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21562 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21563 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21564 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21565 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21567 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21568 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21569 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21570 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21571 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21573 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21574 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21575 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21576 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
21581 @subsection Smileys
21586 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21591 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21592 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21594 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21595 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21598 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21601 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21602 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21603 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21604 text and maps that to file names.
21606 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21607 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21608 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21609 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21610 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21613 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21618 @item smiley-data-directory
21619 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21620 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21622 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21623 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21624 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21633 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21634 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21635 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21639 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21640 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
21641 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21642 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21650 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21651 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21652 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21653 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21655 The variable that controls this is the
21656 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21657 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21658 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21659 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21660 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21662 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21663 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21664 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21665 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21668 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21669 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21670 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21671 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21672 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21673 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21674 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21675 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21677 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21680 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21681 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21683 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21684 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21685 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21686 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21687 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21688 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21689 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21690 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21691 header data as a string.
21693 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21694 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21695 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21696 randomly generated data.
21698 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21699 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21700 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21701 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21702 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21704 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21705 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
21708 (setq message-required-news-headers
21709 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21710 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21713 Using the last function would be something like this:
21716 (setq message-required-news-headers
21717 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21718 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21719 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21720 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21725 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21728 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21729 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21730 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21731 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21732 unusual directory structure.
21734 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21735 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21736 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21737 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21739 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21740 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21741 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21742 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21743 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21744 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21746 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21747 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21748 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21753 @subsubsection Toolbar
21757 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21758 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21759 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21760 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21761 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21763 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21764 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21765 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21767 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21768 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21769 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21771 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21772 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21773 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21784 @node Fuzzy Matching
21785 @section Fuzzy Matching
21786 @cindex fuzzy matching
21788 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21789 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21791 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21792 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21793 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21795 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21796 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21797 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21798 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21799 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21802 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21803 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21807 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21809 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21810 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21811 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21812 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21813 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21814 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21815 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21816 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21819 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21820 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21821 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21822 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21823 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21824 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21826 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21829 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21830 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21831 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21832 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21833 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21834 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21837 @node The problem of spam
21838 @subsection The problem of spam
21840 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21841 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21843 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21845 First, some background on spam.
21847 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21848 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21849 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21850 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21851 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21852 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21853 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21854 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21856 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21857 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21858 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21859 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21860 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21861 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21862 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21863 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21864 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21867 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21868 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21869 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21870 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21871 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21872 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21873 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21874 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21875 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21876 mail can be useful.
21878 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21879 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21880 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21881 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21882 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21883 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the
21884 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21885 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21886 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21888 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21889 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21890 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21891 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21892 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21893 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21894 because of the incident.
21896 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21897 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21898 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21899 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21900 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21901 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21902 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21903 to store the database of spam analyses.
21905 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21906 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21910 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21912 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21913 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21915 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21916 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21917 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21918 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21919 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21920 part of the mail address.)
21923 (setq message-default-news-headers
21924 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21927 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21928 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21933 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21934 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21935 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21941 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21942 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21943 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21944 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21946 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
21947 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21948 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21949 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21950 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21951 your fancy split rule in this way:
21956 (to "larsi" "misc")
21960 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21961 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21962 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21963 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21964 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21966 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21967 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21968 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21969 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21970 cosmic balance somewhat.
21972 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21973 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21974 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21975 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21980 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21981 @cindex SpamAssassin
21982 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21985 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21986 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21987 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21988 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21989 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21990 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21991 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21993 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21994 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21995 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21996 Specifiers}) follows.
22000 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
22003 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
22006 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
22007 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
22008 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
22011 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
22015 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
22018 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
22019 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
22023 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
22024 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
22025 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
22026 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
22029 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
22031 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
22033 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
22034 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
22036 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
22038 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
22039 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
22043 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
22044 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
22045 spam. And here is the nifty function:
22048 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
22049 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
22051 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
22052 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
22053 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
22057 @subsection Hashcash
22060 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
22061 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
22062 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
22063 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
22064 in smaller communities.
22066 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
22067 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
22068 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
22069 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
22070 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
22071 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
22072 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
22073 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
22074 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
22075 one of them separately.
22078 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
22079 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
22080 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
22081 header. For more details, and for the external application
22082 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
22083 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
22084 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
22086 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
22090 (require 'hashcash)
22091 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
22094 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found in the Gnus development
22095 contrib directory. or at
22096 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}.
22098 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
22102 @item hashcash-default-payment
22103 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
22104 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
22105 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
22106 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
22108 @item hashcash-payment-alist
22109 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
22110 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
22111 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
22112 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
22113 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
22114 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
22115 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
22116 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
22120 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
22124 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
22125 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
22126 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
22127 a useful contribution, however.
22129 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22130 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
22131 @cindex spam filtering
22134 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
22135 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
22136 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
22137 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
22140 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
22141 the following keyboard commands:
22151 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
22152 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
22154 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
22155 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
22156 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
22157 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
22163 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
22164 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
22166 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
22172 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
22173 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
22176 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
22177 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
22178 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
22179 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
22180 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
22181 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
22182 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
22183 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
22184 will be detected later.
22186 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
22187 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
22188 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
22189 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
22190 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
22191 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
22192 by customizing the corresponding variable
22193 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
22194 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
22195 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
22196 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
22197 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
22198 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
22199 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
22202 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
22204 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
22205 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
22206 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
22207 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
22208 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
22209 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
22210 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to nil. You should
22211 remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary buffer for
22212 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
22213 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
22214 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
22215 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
22216 will study them as spam samples.
22218 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
22219 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
22220 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
22221 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
22222 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
22223 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
22224 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
22225 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
22228 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22229 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
22230 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
22234 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
22235 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
22239 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
22240 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
22241 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
22242 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
22243 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
22244 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
22247 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
22248 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
22249 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
22250 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
22251 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
22252 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
22253 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
22254 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
22255 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
22256 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
22257 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
22258 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
22259 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
22260 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
22262 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
22263 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
22265 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
22266 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
22267 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
22268 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
22269 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
22270 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
22271 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
22272 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
22273 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
22274 the spam articles are only expired.
22276 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
22277 must add the following to your fancy split list
22278 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
22284 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
22285 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
22286 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
22288 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
22289 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
22290 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
22291 but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}.
22293 You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
22294 e.g. @samp{'spam-use-regex-headers}. Why is this useful?
22296 Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
22297 @code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
22300 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22301 (any "ding" "ding")
22307 Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
22308 ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
22309 detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
22310 when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
22311 the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
22312 invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
22314 You can let SpamAssassin headers supercede ding rules, but all other
22315 @code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
22316 regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
22319 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
22320 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
22321 (any "ding" "ding")
22327 Basically, this lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks
22328 depending on your particular needs. You don't have to throw all mail
22329 into all the spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that
22330 messages to mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have
22331 resource-intensive blackhole checks performed on them. You could also
22332 specify different spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap
22335 You still have to have specific checks such as
22336 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to t, even if you specifically
22337 invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is that when
22338 loading @code{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on
22339 what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
22341 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
22343 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
22344 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
22345 the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
22346 message headers. If you use @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
22347 @code{spam-check-ifile}, or @code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that
22348 can benefit from the full message body), you should set this variable.
22349 It is not set by default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and
22350 that is not an appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user.
22352 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
22354 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
22355 into a back end. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
22356 longer spam or ham.}
22358 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
22359 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
22362 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
22363 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
22366 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
22367 * BBDB Whitelists::
22368 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
22369 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
22371 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
22373 * ifile spam filtering::
22374 * spam-stat spam filtering::
22375 * Extending the spam elisp package::
22378 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
22379 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
22380 @cindex spam filtering
22381 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
22382 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
22385 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
22387 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
22388 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
22389 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
22390 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
22395 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
22397 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
22398 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
22399 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22400 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
22401 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22405 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
22407 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
22408 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22409 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
22413 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
22415 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22416 customizing the group parameters or the
22417 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22418 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22419 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
22423 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
22425 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22426 customizing the group parameters or the
22427 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22428 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22429 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22430 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22431 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22435 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
22436 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
22437 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
22438 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
22439 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
22441 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
22442 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
22443 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
22444 Emacs regular expression syntax.
22446 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
22447 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
22448 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
22449 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
22450 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
22451 @file{blacklist} respectively.
22453 @node BBDB Whitelists
22454 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
22455 @cindex spam filtering
22456 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
22457 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
22460 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
22462 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22463 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
22464 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
22465 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
22466 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
22467 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
22468 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
22472 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
22474 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
22475 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
22476 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
22477 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
22478 classified as spammers.
22482 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
22484 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22485 customizing the group parameters or the
22486 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22487 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
22488 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
22489 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
22490 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22494 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
22495 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
22496 @cindex spam reporting
22497 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22498 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
22501 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
22503 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22504 customizing the group parameters or the
22505 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22506 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22507 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators.
22511 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22512 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
22513 @cindex spam filtering
22514 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
22517 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
22519 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
22520 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
22521 instead of the sender address. You must have the @code{hashcash.el}
22522 package loaded for @code{spam-use-hashcash} to work properly.
22523 Messages without a hashcash payment token will be sent to the next
22524 spam-split rule. This is an explicit filter, meaning that unless a
22525 hashcash token is found, the messages are not assumed to be spam or
22531 @subsubsection Blackholes
22532 @cindex spam filtering
22533 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
22536 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
22538 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
22539 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
22540 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
22541 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
22542 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
22543 contains outdated servers.
22545 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
22546 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
22547 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
22548 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
22549 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
22550 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
22554 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
22556 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
22560 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
22562 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
22563 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
22567 @defvar spam-use-dig
22569 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
22570 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
22574 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
22575 ham processor for blackholes.
22577 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
22578 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
22579 @cindex spam filtering
22580 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
22583 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
22585 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
22586 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
22587 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
22588 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
22589 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
22590 message is spam or ham, respectively.
22594 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
22596 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22597 the message, positively identify it as spam.
22601 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
22603 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
22604 the message, positively identify it as ham.
22608 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
22609 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
22612 @subsubsection Bogofilter
22613 @cindex spam filtering
22614 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
22617 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
22619 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22622 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
22623 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
22624 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
22625 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
22626 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
22627 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
22629 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
22630 threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
22633 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
22634 processing will be turned off.
22636 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
22640 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
22642 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
22643 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
22644 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
22645 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
22646 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
22647 installation documents for details.
22649 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
22653 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
22654 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22655 customizing the group parameters or the
22656 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22657 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
22658 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
22661 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
22662 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22663 customizing the group parameters or the
22664 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22665 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22666 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
22667 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22668 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22671 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
22673 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
22674 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
22675 database directory.
22679 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
22680 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22681 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
22682 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
22683 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
22684 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
22686 @node ifile spam filtering
22687 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
22688 @cindex spam filtering
22689 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
22692 @defvar spam-use-ifile
22694 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
22695 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
22699 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
22701 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
22702 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
22703 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
22707 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
22709 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
22710 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
22711 the default value of @samp{spam}.
22714 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
22716 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
22717 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
22721 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
22722 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
22723 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
22724 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
22727 @node spam-stat spam filtering
22728 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
22729 @cindex spam filtering
22730 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
22734 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
22736 @defvar spam-use-stat
22738 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
22739 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
22743 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
22744 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22745 customizing the group parameters or the
22746 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22747 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
22748 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
22751 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
22752 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
22753 customizing the group parameters or the
22754 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
22755 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
22756 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
22757 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
22758 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
22761 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
22762 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
22763 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
22764 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
22767 @node Extending the spam elisp package
22768 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
22769 @cindex spam filtering
22770 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
22771 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
22773 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
22774 incoming mail, provide the following:
22782 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
22783 "True if blackbox should be used.")
22788 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
22790 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
22795 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
22796 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
22797 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
22799 Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
22800 @code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
22801 mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
22805 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
22812 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
22813 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
22816 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22817 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
22818 Only applicable to spam groups.")
22820 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
22821 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
22822 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
22830 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
22831 (spam-generic-register-routine
22832 ;; @r{the spam function}
22834 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22835 (when (stringp from)
22836 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
22837 ;; @r{the ham function}
22840 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
22841 (spam-generic-register-routine
22842 ;; @r{the spam function}
22844 ;; @r{the ham function}
22846 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22847 (when (stringp from)
22848 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
22851 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
22852 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
22853 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
22854 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
22855 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
22856 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
22861 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22862 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22863 @cindex Paul Graham
22864 @cindex Graham, Paul
22865 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
22866 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
22867 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
22869 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
22870 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
22871 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
22872 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
22873 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
22874 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
22875 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
22876 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
22877 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
22880 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
22881 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
22882 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
22883 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
22884 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
22885 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
22886 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
22887 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
22889 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
22890 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
22891 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
22892 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
22893 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
22896 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
22897 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
22898 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
22901 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22902 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22904 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
22905 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
22906 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
22907 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
22908 need several hundred emails in both collections.
22910 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
22911 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
22912 per mail. Use the following:
22914 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
22915 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
22916 is treated as one spam mail.
22919 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
22920 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22921 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22924 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22925 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22926 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22927 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22928 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22929 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22931 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
22932 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
22933 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22934 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22935 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22938 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
22939 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22940 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22941 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22944 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22945 reset the dictionary.
22947 @defun spam-stat-reset
22948 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22951 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22952 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22953 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22954 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22955 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22956 only non-spam mails.
22958 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22959 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22960 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22963 @defun spam-stat-save
22964 Save the dictionary.
22967 @defvar spam-stat-file
22968 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22969 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22972 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22973 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22975 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22976 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22979 (require 'spam-stat)
22983 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22986 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22987 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22988 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22989 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22991 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22992 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22993 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22994 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22997 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22998 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23002 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
23003 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
23006 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
23007 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
23008 expression are considered potential spam.
23011 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23012 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23013 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23017 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
23018 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
23019 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
23020 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
23021 mails, when creating the dictionary!
23024 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23025 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23026 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23030 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
23031 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
23032 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
23033 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
23034 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
23038 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
23039 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
23040 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
23041 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
23046 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23047 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
23049 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
23051 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
23052 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
23053 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23056 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
23057 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
23058 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
23061 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
23062 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
23063 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
23064 already been processed as non-spam.
23067 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
23068 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
23069 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
23070 been processed as spam.
23073 @defun spam-stat-save
23074 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
23075 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23078 @defun spam-stat-load
23079 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
23080 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
23083 @defun spam-stat-score-word
23084 Return the spam score for a word.
23087 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
23088 Return the spam score for a buffer.
23091 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
23092 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
23093 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23096 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
23097 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23100 (require 'spam-stat)
23104 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
23107 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23108 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23109 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23110 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23111 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23112 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23113 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23114 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23115 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23116 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23117 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
23118 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
23119 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23120 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23123 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
23126 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
23127 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
23128 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
23129 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
23130 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
23131 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
23134 @node Various Various
23135 @section Various Various
23141 @item gnus-home-directory
23142 @vindex gnus-home-directory
23143 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
23144 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
23146 @item gnus-directory
23147 @vindex gnus-directory
23148 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
23149 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
23150 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
23152 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
23153 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
23154 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
23155 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
23157 @item gnus-default-directory
23158 @vindex gnus-default-directory
23159 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
23160 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
23161 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
23162 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
23163 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
23164 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
23167 @vindex gnus-verbose
23168 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
23169 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
23170 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
23171 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
23172 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
23174 @item gnus-verbose-backends
23175 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
23176 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
23177 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
23179 @item nnheader-max-head-length
23180 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
23181 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
23182 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
23183 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
23184 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
23185 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
23186 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
23187 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
23188 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
23190 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
23191 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
23192 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
23193 read when doing the operation described above.
23195 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23196 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23198 @cindex invalid characters in file names
23199 @cindex characters in file names
23200 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
23201 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
23202 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
23206 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
23211 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
23212 Windows (phooey) systems.
23214 @item gnus-hidden-properties
23215 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
23216 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
23217 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
23218 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
23220 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
23221 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
23222 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
23223 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
23224 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
23226 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
23227 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
23228 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
23230 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23231 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
23233 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
23234 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
23235 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
23236 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
23239 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
23247 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
23248 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
23250 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
23252 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
23258 Not because of victories @*
23261 but for the common sunshine,@*
23263 the largess of the spring.
23267 but for the day's work done@*
23268 as well as I was able;@*
23269 not for a seat upon the dais@*
23270 but at the common table.@*
23275 @chapter Appendices
23278 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
23279 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
23280 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
23281 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
23282 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
23283 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
23284 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
23285 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
23286 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
23293 @cindex installing under XEmacs
23295 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
23296 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
23297 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
23298 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
23299 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
23300 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
23307 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
23308 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
23310 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
23311 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
23312 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
23313 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
23314 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
23316 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
23317 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
23318 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
23319 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
23320 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
23321 appropriate name, don't you think?)
23323 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
23324 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
23325 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
23326 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
23329 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
23330 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
23331 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
23332 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
23333 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
23334 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
23335 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
23336 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
23337 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
23341 @node Gnus Versions
23342 @subsection Gnus Versions
23344 @cindex September Gnus
23346 @cindex Quassia Gnus
23347 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
23350 @cindex Gnus versions
23352 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
23353 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
23354 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
23356 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
23357 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
23359 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
23360 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
23362 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
23363 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
23365 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
23366 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
23369 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
23371 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
23372 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
23373 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
23374 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
23375 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
23376 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
23379 @node Other Gnus Versions
23380 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
23383 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
23384 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
23385 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
23386 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
23388 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
23389 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
23390 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
23391 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
23398 What's the point of Gnus?
23400 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
23401 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
23402 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
23403 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
23404 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
23405 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
23406 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
23407 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
23408 keep track of millions of people who post?
23410 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
23411 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
23412 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
23413 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
23414 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
23415 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
23416 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
23417 every one of you to explore and invent.
23419 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
23420 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
23423 @node Compatibility
23424 @subsection Compatibility
23426 @cindex compatibility
23427 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
23428 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
23429 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
23434 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
23438 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
23441 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
23444 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
23445 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
23446 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
23447 important variables have their values copied into their global
23448 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
23449 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
23451 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
23452 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
23453 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
23454 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
23455 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
23459 @cindex highlighting
23460 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
23461 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
23462 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
23463 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
23464 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
23465 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
23468 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
23469 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
23470 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
23471 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
23473 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
23474 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
23475 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
23476 to stop doing it the old way.
23478 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
23480 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23482 @cindex reporting bugs
23484 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
23485 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
23486 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
23488 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
23489 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
23490 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
23491 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
23496 @subsection Conformity
23498 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
23499 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
23507 There are no known breaches of this standard.
23511 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
23513 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
23514 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
23515 We do have some breaches to this one.
23521 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
23522 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
23523 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
23524 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
23525 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
23530 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
23531 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
23532 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
23533 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
23535 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
23536 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
23537 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
23539 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
23540 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
23542 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
23545 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
23546 published as a Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
23547 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
23548 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
23549 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
23552 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
23553 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
23554 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
23555 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
23557 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
23558 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
23560 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
23561 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
23562 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
23563 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
23564 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
23565 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
23566 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
23567 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
23571 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
23572 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
23577 @subsection Emacsen
23583 Gnus should work on :
23591 XEmacs 21.1 and up.
23595 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
23596 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
23599 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
23600 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
23601 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
23605 @node Gnus Development
23606 @subsection Gnus Development
23608 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
23609 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
23610 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
23611 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
23612 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
23613 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
23614 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
23615 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
23617 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
23618 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
23619 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
23620 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
23621 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
23624 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
23625 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
23626 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
23627 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
23628 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
23630 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
23631 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
23632 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
23633 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
23634 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
23635 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
23636 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
23637 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
23638 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
23639 can't be assumed to do so.
23644 @subsection Contributors
23645 @cindex contributors
23647 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
23648 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
23649 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
23650 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
23651 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
23652 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
23653 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
23654 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
23655 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
23656 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
23658 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
23664 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
23667 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
23668 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
23669 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
23670 functionality and stuff.
23673 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
23674 well as numerous other things).
23677 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
23680 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
23683 Justin Sheehy--the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
23686 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
23689 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
23690 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
23693 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
23696 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
23697 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23700 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
23703 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
23706 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
23709 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
23712 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
23713 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
23716 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
23719 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
23722 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
23725 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
23729 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
23732 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
23735 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
23738 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
23739 well as autoconf support.
23743 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
23744 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
23746 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
23761 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
23763 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
23767 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
23777 Alexei V. Barantsev,
23792 Massimo Campostrini,
23797 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
23798 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
23802 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
23805 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
23811 Michael Welsh Duggan,
23816 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
23820 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
23828 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
23830 Michelangelo Grigni,
23834 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
23836 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
23838 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
23845 François Felix Ingrand,
23846 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
23847 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
23849 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
23859 Peter Skov Knudsen,
23860 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
23862 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
23863 Thor Kristoffersen,
23866 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
23884 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
23885 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
23892 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
23897 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
23901 John McClary Prevost,
23907 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
23912 Christian von Roques,
23915 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
23922 Philippe Schnoebelen,
23924 Randal L. Schwartz,
23938 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23943 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23963 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23964 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23965 (550kB and counting).
23967 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23970 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23971 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23975 @subsection New Features
23976 @cindex new features
23979 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23980 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23981 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23982 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23983 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23984 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10.
23987 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23988 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23989 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23992 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23994 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23999 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
24000 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
24003 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
24004 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
24007 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
24010 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
24011 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
24012 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
24015 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
24016 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
24017 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
24018 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24021 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
24022 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24025 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
24026 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
24027 (@pxref{The Active File}).
24030 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
24031 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
24034 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
24035 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
24036 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24039 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
24040 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
24041 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
24044 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
24045 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
24048 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
24049 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
24052 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
24053 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
24056 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
24057 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24060 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
24061 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
24064 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
24065 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24068 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
24071 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
24072 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
24075 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
24076 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
24079 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
24080 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
24083 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
24086 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
24087 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24090 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
24094 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
24098 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
24099 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
24102 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
24108 @node September Gnus
24109 @subsubsection September Gnus
24113 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
24117 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
24122 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
24123 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
24127 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
24128 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
24132 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
24136 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
24137 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
24140 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
24144 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
24147 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
24150 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
24153 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
24157 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
24158 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
24161 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
24165 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
24169 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
24173 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
24177 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
24180 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
24181 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
24184 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
24188 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
24189 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
24192 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
24195 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
24196 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
24197 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
24200 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
24204 The Gnus cache is much faster.
24207 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
24211 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
24212 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24215 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
24216 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
24219 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
24220 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
24223 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
24224 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
24225 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
24228 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
24229 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
24232 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
24235 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24238 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
24241 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
24244 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
24245 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
24248 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
24252 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
24255 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
24260 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
24263 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
24267 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
24270 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
24274 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
24277 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
24280 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
24281 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
24284 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
24285 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
24289 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
24290 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
24293 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
24297 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
24298 buffer to allow easier treatment.
24301 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
24304 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
24308 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
24312 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
24313 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
24316 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
24320 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
24321 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
24324 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
24325 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24328 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
24332 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
24335 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
24338 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
24344 @subsubsection Red Gnus
24346 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
24350 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
24357 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
24360 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
24361 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
24364 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
24365 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
24369 Article washing status can be displayed in the
24370 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
24373 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
24376 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
24377 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
24380 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
24384 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
24385 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
24389 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
24390 Server Internals}).
24393 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
24397 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
24400 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
24401 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
24404 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
24405 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
24406 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
24409 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
24410 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24413 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
24414 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
24417 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
24421 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
24422 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24425 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
24426 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
24429 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
24433 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
24436 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
24440 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
24441 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24444 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
24445 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
24448 A new command for reading collections of documents
24449 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
24450 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
24453 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
24457 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
24458 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
24461 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
24462 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
24463 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
24466 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
24467 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
24471 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
24475 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
24479 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
24484 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
24488 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
24492 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
24493 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
24496 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
24502 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
24504 New features in Gnus 5.6:
24509 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
24510 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
24511 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
24514 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
24515 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
24516 group, which is created automatically.
24519 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
24523 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
24526 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
24527 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
24530 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
24534 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
24537 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
24538 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
24541 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
24544 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section ``Symbolic
24545 Prefixes'' in the Gnus manual for details.
24548 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
24549 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
24552 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
24553 control over simplification.
24556 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
24559 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
24563 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
24566 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
24569 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
24570 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
24571 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
24574 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
24575 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
24578 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
24582 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
24583 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
24586 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
24587 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
24590 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
24594 A history of where mails have been split is available.
24597 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
24600 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
24601 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
24604 A new function for citing in Message has been
24605 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
24608 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
24611 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
24615 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
24616 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
24619 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
24620 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
24623 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
24626 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
24630 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
24631 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
24633 New features in Gnus 5.8:
24638 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
24639 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
24641 If you used procmail like in
24644 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
24645 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
24646 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
24647 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
24650 this now has changed to
24654 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
24658 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
24661 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
24662 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
24665 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
24666 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
24669 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
24670 called to position point.
24673 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
24674 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
24677 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
24678 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
24681 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
24682 subtly different manner.
24685 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
24686 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
24687 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
24690 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
24695 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
24698 New features in Gnus 5.10:
24703 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
24704 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
24707 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
24709 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
24710 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
24711 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
24712 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
24713 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
24714 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
24715 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
24716 isn't save in general.
24721 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
24722 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
24723 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
24724 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
24729 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} installs key bindings in dired buffers to send
24730 a file as an attachment (@kbd{C-c C-a}), open a file using the approriate
24731 mailcap entry (@kbd{C-c C-l}), and print a file using the mailcap entry
24732 (@kbd{C-c P}). It is enabled with
24734 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
24738 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
24741 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
24746 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
24747 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
24749 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
24750 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
24754 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
24755 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
24758 Retrieval of charters and control messages
24760 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
24761 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
24766 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
24767 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
24768 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
24771 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
24772 decompressed when activated.
24775 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
24776 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
24779 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
24782 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
24783 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
24786 Warn about email replies to news
24788 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
24789 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
24793 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
24794 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
24798 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
24799 opposed to old but unread messages).
24802 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
24803 Gcc articles as read.
24806 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
24809 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
24810 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
24813 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
24814 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
24817 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
24818 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
24821 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
24822 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
24825 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
24827 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
24828 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
24829 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
24830 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
24833 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
24835 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
24836 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
24837 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
24838 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
24839 the second parameter.
24841 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
24842 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
24843 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
24844 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
24845 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
24846 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
24847 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
24848 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
24849 cycle used under Unix systems.
24851 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
24855 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
24857 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
24858 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
24859 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
24860 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
24861 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
24865 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
24867 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
24868 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
24869 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
24870 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
24874 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
24876 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
24877 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
24878 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
24879 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
24881 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
24882 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
24883 message cited below.
24886 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
24889 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
24891 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
24892 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
24893 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
24894 variable in @file{~/.emacs} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
24895 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
24898 (setq gnus-parameters
24900 (gnus-show-threads nil)
24901 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
24902 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
24903 (to-group . "\\1"))))
24907 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
24909 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.emacs} to
24913 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
24915 Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
24916 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
24917 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversally) the
24918 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
24919 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
24920 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
24921 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
24922 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
24923 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
24926 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
24928 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
24929 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
24930 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
24931 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
24932 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
24933 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
24936 References and X-Draft-Headers are no longer generated when you start
24937 composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
24941 Improved anti-spam features.
24943 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
24944 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
24945 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
24946 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
24947 are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
24950 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
24953 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
24954 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
24957 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
24960 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
24962 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
24963 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
24964 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
24965 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
24966 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
24967 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
24968 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
24969 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
24970 when getting new mail, remove the function.
24973 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
24975 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
24976 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
24977 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
24978 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
24979 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
24980 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
24981 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
24982 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
24983 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
24984 was inserted directly.
24987 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
24989 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
24990 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
24996 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
24997 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
24998 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
24999 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
25000 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
25001 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
25002 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
25003 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
25004 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
25005 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
25006 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
25007 behaviour of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
25008 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
25009 is not needed any more.
25012 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
25014 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
25015 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
25016 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
25017 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
25018 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
25022 @file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
25024 A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
25025 broken Outlook (Express) articles.
25028 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
25030 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
25031 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
25032 lisp directory into load-path.
25034 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
25035 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
25038 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
25040 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
25043 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
25045 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
25046 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
25047 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
25048 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
25051 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
25053 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
25055 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
25056 'bbdb-complete-name)
25060 Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
25062 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
25063 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
25064 local files as external parts.
25066 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
25067 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
25068 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
25069 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
25070 that support editing.
25073 @code{gnus-default-charset}
25075 The default value is determined from the
25076 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
25077 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
25078 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
25081 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
25083 Add a new format of match like
25085 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
25086 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25088 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
25090 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
25091 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
25095 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
25097 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
25098 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
25099 need add those two headers too.
25102 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
25104 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
25105 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
25106 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
25109 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
25110 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
25111 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
25115 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
25117 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
25120 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
25122 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
25125 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
25127 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
25128 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
25129 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
25132 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
25134 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
25138 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
25140 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
25141 used to determine if you wrote a article or not (for cancelling and
25142 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
25143 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
25144 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
25145 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
25146 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
25147 The behaviour can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
25150 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
25152 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
25153 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
25154 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
25155 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
25156 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
25159 Extended format specs.
25161 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
25162 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
25163 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
25164 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
25165 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
25166 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
25169 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
25171 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
25172 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
25173 out other articles.
25175 @item Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
25177 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
25178 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
25179 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
25180 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
25183 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
25185 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
25186 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
25187 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
25190 The nnml and nnfolder backends store marks for each groups.
25192 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
25193 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
25194 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
25195 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
25196 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
25197 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
25198 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
25199 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
25200 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
25201 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
25202 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
25205 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
25206 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
25209 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
25210 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
25211 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
25212 message, Message Manual}).
25215 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
25216 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
25218 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
25219 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
25220 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
25222 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
25226 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
25227 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
25229 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
25230 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
25231 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
25232 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
25235 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
25238 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
25241 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
25242 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
25249 @section The Manual
25253 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
25254 either @code{texi2dvi}
25256 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
25257 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
25259 to get what you hold in your hands now.
25261 The following conventions have been used:
25266 This is a @samp{string}
25269 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
25272 This is a @file{file}
25275 This is a @code{symbol}
25279 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
25283 (setq flargnoze "yes")
25286 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
25289 (setq flumphel 'yes)
25292 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
25293 ever get them confused.
25297 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
25298 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
25299 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
25300 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
25301 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
25302 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
25303 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
25309 @node On Writing Manuals
25310 @section On Writing Manuals
25312 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
25313 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
25314 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
25315 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
25316 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
25317 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
25320 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
25321 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
25322 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
25325 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
25326 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
25331 @section Terminology
25333 @cindex terminology
25338 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
25339 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
25340 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
25341 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
25342 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
25346 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
25347 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
25348 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
25349 not posting, and replying is not following up.
25353 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
25357 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
25362 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
25363 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
25364 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
25365 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
25366 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a `front end' and a number of
25367 `back ends'. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
25368 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
25369 Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a back end and says things like
25370 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
25373 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
25374 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
25375 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
25376 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
25377 `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
25378 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
25380 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
25381 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
25382 access the articles.
25384 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
25385 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
25386 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
25391 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
25392 default, way of getting news.
25396 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
25397 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
25402 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
25403 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
25407 A message that has been posted as news.
25410 @cindex mail message
25411 A message that has been mailed.
25415 A mail message or news article
25419 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
25424 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
25429 A line from the head of an article.
25433 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
25434 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
25436 @item @acronym{NOV}
25437 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
25438 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
25439 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
25440 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
25441 normal @sc{head} format.
25445 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
25446 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
25447 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
25448 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
25449 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
25450 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
25452 @item killed groups
25453 @cindex killed groups
25454 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
25455 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
25457 @item zombie groups
25458 @cindex zombie groups
25459 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
25462 @cindex active file
25463 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
25464 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
25465 is rather large, as you might surmise.
25468 @cindex bogus groups
25469 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
25470 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
25471 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
25474 @cindex activating groups
25475 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
25476 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
25477 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
25481 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
25483 @item select method
25484 @cindex select method
25485 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
25488 @item virtual server
25489 @cindex virtual server
25490 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
25491 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
25492 whole is a virtual server.
25496 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
25497 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
25500 @item ephemeral groups
25501 @cindex ephemeral groups
25502 @cindex temporary groups
25503 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
25504 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
25505 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
25508 @cindex solid groups
25509 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
25510 group buffer are solid groups.
25512 @item sparse articles
25513 @cindex sparse articles
25514 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
25515 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
25519 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
25520 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
25524 @cindex thread root
25525 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
25526 articles in the thread.
25530 An article that has responses.
25534 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
25538 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
25539 specified by RFC 1153.
25545 @node Customization
25546 @section Customization
25547 @cindex general customization
25549 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
25550 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
25551 for some quite common situations.
25554 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
25555 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
25556 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
25557 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
25561 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
25562 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
25564 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
25565 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
25566 Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
25570 @item gnus-read-active-file
25571 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
25572 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
25573 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25574 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
25575 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
25577 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
25578 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
25579 the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
25580 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
25584 @node Slow Terminal Connection
25585 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
25587 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
25588 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
25589 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
25593 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
25594 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
25595 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
25596 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
25597 horizontal and vertical recentering.
25599 @item gnus-visible-headers
25600 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
25601 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
25602 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
25603 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
25605 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
25607 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
25608 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
25609 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
25612 @item gnus-use-full-window
25613 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
25614 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
25615 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
25616 want to read them anyway.
25618 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
25619 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
25623 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
25624 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
25625 lines, which might save some time.
25629 @node Little Disk Space
25630 @subsection Little Disk Space
25633 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
25634 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
25638 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
25639 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
25640 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25641 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25644 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
25645 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
25646 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
25647 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
25650 @item gnus-save-killed-list
25651 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
25652 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
25653 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
25654 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
25660 @subsection Slow Machine
25661 @cindex slow machine
25663 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
25664 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
25666 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
25667 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
25669 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
25670 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
25671 summary buffer faster.
25675 @node Troubleshooting
25676 @section Troubleshooting
25677 @cindex troubleshooting
25679 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
25687 Make sure your computer is switched on.
25690 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
25691 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
25695 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
25696 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
25697 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
25698 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
25701 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
25702 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
25705 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
25706 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
25707 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
25708 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
25709 something like that.
25712 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
25715 @cindex reporting bugs
25717 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
25719 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
25720 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
25721 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
25722 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
25724 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
25725 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
25726 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
25727 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
25730 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
25731 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
25732 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
25733 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
25734 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
25735 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
25737 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
25738 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
25739 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
25743 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
25744 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
25747 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
25748 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
25749 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
25750 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
25751 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
25752 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
25753 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
25754 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
25755 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
25756 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
25757 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
25758 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
25759 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
25760 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
25765 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
25766 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
25767 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
25768 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
25769 helps isolating the real problem areas).
25771 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
25772 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
25773 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
25774 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
25775 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
25776 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
25777 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
25778 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
25779 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
25780 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
25781 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
25782 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
25783 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
25786 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
25787 @cindex ding mailing list
25788 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
25789 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
25790 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
25791 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
25795 @node Gnus Reference Guide
25796 @section Gnus Reference Guide
25798 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
25799 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
25800 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
25801 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
25804 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
25805 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
25806 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
25807 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
25808 and general methods of operation.
25811 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
25812 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
25813 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
25814 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
25815 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
25816 * Group Info:: The group info format.
25817 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
25818 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
25819 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
25823 @node Gnus Utility Functions
25824 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
25825 @cindex Gnus utility functions
25826 @cindex utility functions
25828 @cindex internal variables
25830 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
25831 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
25832 Below is a list of the most common ones.
25836 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
25837 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
25838 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
25840 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
25841 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
25842 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
25844 @item gnus-group-real-name
25845 @findex gnus-group-real-name
25846 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
25849 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
25850 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
25851 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
25852 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
25854 @item gnus-get-info
25855 @findex gnus-get-info
25856 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
25858 @item gnus-group-unread
25859 @findex gnus-group-unread
25860 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
25864 @findex gnus-active
25865 The active entry for @var{group}.
25867 @item gnus-set-active
25868 @findex gnus-set-active
25869 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
25871 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
25872 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
25873 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
25876 @item gnus-continuum-version
25877 @findex gnus-continuum-version
25878 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
25879 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
25882 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
25883 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
25884 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
25886 @item gnus-news-group-p
25887 @findex gnus-news-group-p
25888 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
25890 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
25891 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
25892 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
25894 @item gnus-server-to-method
25895 @findex gnus-server-to-method
25896 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
25898 @item gnus-server-equal
25899 @findex gnus-server-equal
25900 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
25902 @item gnus-group-native-p
25903 @findex gnus-group-native-p
25904 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
25906 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
25907 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
25908 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
25910 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
25911 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
25912 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
25914 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
25915 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
25916 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
25917 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
25919 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
25920 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
25921 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
25923 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
25924 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
25925 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
25927 @item gnus-check-backend-function
25928 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
25929 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
25930 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
25933 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
25937 @item gnus-read-method
25938 @findex gnus-read-method
25939 Prompts the user for a select method.
25944 @node Back End Interface
25945 @subsection Back End Interface
25947 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
25948 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
25949 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
25950 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
25951 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
25952 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
25954 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
25955 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
25956 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
25957 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
25958 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
25959 been opened, the function should fail.
25961 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
25962 name. Take this example:
25966 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
25967 (nntp-port-number 4324))
25970 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
25971 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
25973 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
25974 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
25975 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
25977 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
25978 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
25979 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
25981 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
25982 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
25983 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
25984 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
25985 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
25986 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
25989 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
25990 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
25991 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
25992 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
25995 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
25996 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
25997 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
25998 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
25999 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
26000 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
26001 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
26002 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
26003 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
26004 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
26006 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
26007 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
26008 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
26009 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
26010 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
26011 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
26012 of numbers as long as possible.
26014 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
26015 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
26016 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
26018 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
26021 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
26024 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
26025 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
26026 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
26027 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
26028 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
26029 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
26033 @node Required Back End Functions
26034 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
26038 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
26040 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
26041 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
26042 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
26043 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
26045 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
26046 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
26047 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
26048 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
26050 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
26051 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
26052 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
26053 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
26054 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
26055 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
26056 number, do maximum fetches.
26058 Here's an example HEAD:
26061 221 1056 Article retrieved.
26062 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
26063 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
26064 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
26065 Subject: Re: Something very droll
26066 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
26067 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
26069 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
26070 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
26071 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
26075 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
26076 these in the data buffer.
26078 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
26082 head = error / valid-head
26083 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
26084 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
26085 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
26086 header = <text> eol
26090 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
26092 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
26093 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
26097 nov-buffer = *nov-line
26098 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
26099 field = <text except TAB>
26102 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
26106 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
26108 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
26109 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
26111 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
26112 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
26113 server. In fact, it should do so.
26115 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
26116 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
26119 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
26121 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
26122 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
26125 There should be no data returned.
26128 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
26130 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
26131 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
26132 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
26133 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
26135 There should be no data returned.
26138 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
26140 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
26141 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
26142 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
26143 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
26145 There should be no data returned.
26148 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
26150 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
26152 There should be no data returned.
26155 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
26157 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
26158 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
26159 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
26160 it would be nice if that were possible.
26162 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
26163 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
26164 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
26165 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
26166 into its article buffer.
26168 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
26169 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
26170 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
26171 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
26172 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
26173 on successful article retrieval.
26176 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
26178 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
26179 making @var{group} the current group.
26181 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
26184 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
26187 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
26190 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
26191 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
26192 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
26193 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
26194 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
26195 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
26196 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
26197 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
26198 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
26202 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
26203 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
26204 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
26208 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26210 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
26211 a no-op on most back ends.
26213 There should be no data returned.
26216 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
26218 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
26221 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
26224 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
26225 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
26228 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
26229 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
26230 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
26231 and the highest as 0.
26234 active-file = *active-line
26235 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
26237 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
26240 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
26241 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
26242 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
26245 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
26247 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
26248 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
26249 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
26250 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
26251 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
26252 clear if the posting could not be completed.
26254 There should be no result data from this function.
26259 @node Optional Back End Functions
26260 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
26264 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
26266 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
26267 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
26268 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
26270 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
26271 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
26272 former is in the same format as the data from
26273 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
26274 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
26277 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
26281 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
26283 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
26284 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
26285 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
26286 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
26287 should return a non-@code{nil} value.
26289 There should be no result data from this function.
26292 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
26294 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
26295 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
26296 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
26297 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
26298 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
26299 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
26300 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
26301 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
26303 There should be no result data from this function.
26306 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
26308 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
26309 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
26310 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
26311 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
26312 propagate the mark information to the server.
26314 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
26317 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
26320 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
26321 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
26322 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
26323 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
26324 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
26325 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
26326 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
26327 possible, not limit itself to these.
26329 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
26330 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
26331 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
26332 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
26334 An example action list:
26337 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
26338 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
26339 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
26342 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
26343 mark on (currently not used for anything).
26345 There should be no result data from this function.
26347 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
26349 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
26350 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
26351 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
26352 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
26353 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
26355 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
26356 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
26357 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
26360 There should be no result data from this function.
26363 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
26365 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
26366 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
26367 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
26368 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
26369 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
26370 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
26371 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
26372 local if that's practical.
26374 There should be no result data from this function.
26377 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
26379 The result data from this function should be a description of
26383 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
26385 description = <text>
26388 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
26390 The result data from this function should be the description of all
26391 groups available on the server.
26394 description-buffer = *description-line
26398 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
26400 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
26401 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
26402 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
26403 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
26404 in the active buffer format.
26406 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
26407 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
26408 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
26409 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
26410 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
26411 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
26412 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
26415 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
26417 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
26419 There should be no return data.
26422 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
26424 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
26425 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
26426 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
26427 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
26428 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
26431 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
26434 There should be no result data returned.
26437 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
26439 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
26440 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
26442 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
26443 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
26444 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
26445 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
26446 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
26447 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
26449 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
26450 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
26453 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26454 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26456 There should be no data returned.
26459 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
26461 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
26462 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
26463 this function in short order.
26465 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
26466 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
26468 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
26469 article for that group.
26471 There should be no data returned.
26474 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
26476 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
26477 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
26479 There should be no data returned.
26482 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
26484 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
26485 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
26486 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
26488 There should be no data returned.
26491 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
26493 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
26494 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
26496 There should be no data returned.
26501 @node Error Messaging
26502 @subsubsection Error Messaging
26504 @findex nnheader-report
26505 @findex nnheader-get-report
26506 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
26507 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
26508 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
26509 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
26510 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
26511 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
26514 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
26516 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
26519 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
26520 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
26521 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
26522 takes one argument---the server symbol.
26524 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
26525 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
26526 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
26529 @node Writing New Back Ends
26530 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
26532 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
26533 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
26534 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
26535 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
26536 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
26539 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
26540 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
26541 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
26543 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
26544 package called @code{nnoo}.
26546 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
26547 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
26553 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
26554 parameters. For instance:
26557 (nnoo-declare nndir
26561 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
26562 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
26565 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
26566 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
26567 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
26569 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
26570 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
26571 a function in those back ends.
26574 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26575 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26576 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26579 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
26580 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
26581 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
26583 @item nnoo-define-basics
26584 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
26588 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26592 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
26593 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
26594 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
26596 @item nnoo-map-functions
26597 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
26598 functions from the parent back ends.
26601 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26602 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26603 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
26606 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
26607 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
26608 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
26609 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
26612 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
26613 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
26614 haven't already been defined.
26620 nnmh-request-newgroups)
26624 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
26625 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
26626 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
26631 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
26634 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
26635 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
26639 (require 'nnheader)
26643 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
26645 (nnoo-declare nndir
26648 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
26649 "Where nndir will look for groups."
26650 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
26652 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
26653 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
26656 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
26658 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
26659 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
26660 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
26662 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
26663 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
26665 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
26667 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
26669 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
26670 (setq nndir-directory
26671 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
26673 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
26674 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
26675 (push `(nndir-current-group
26676 ,(file-name-nondirectory
26677 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
26679 (push `(nndir-top-directory
26680 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
26682 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
26684 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
26685 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26686 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
26687 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
26688 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
26692 nnmh-status-message
26694 nnmh-request-newgroups))
26700 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
26701 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
26703 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
26704 @findex gnus-declare-backend
26705 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
26706 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
26707 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
26709 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
26710 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
26715 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
26718 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
26720 The abilities can be:
26724 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
26726 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
26728 This back end supports both mail and news.
26730 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
26733 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
26734 articles and groups.
26736 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
26737 true for almost all back ends.
26738 @item prompt-address
26739 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
26740 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
26741 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
26745 @node Mail-like Back Ends
26746 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
26748 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
26749 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
26750 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
26751 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
26754 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
26755 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
26756 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
26759 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
26760 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
26763 This function takes four parameters.
26767 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
26770 @item exit-function
26771 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
26773 @item temp-directory
26774 Where the temporary files should be stored.
26777 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
26778 performed for one group only.
26781 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
26782 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
26783 find the article number assigned to this article.
26785 The function also uses the following variables:
26786 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
26787 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
26788 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
26789 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
26793 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
26794 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
26798 @node Score File Syntax
26799 @subsection Score File Syntax
26801 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
26802 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
26803 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
26805 Here's a typical score file:
26809 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
26816 BNF definition of a score file:
26819 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
26820 element = rule / atom
26821 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
26822 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
26823 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
26824 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
26826 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
26827 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
26828 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
26829 date-header = "date"
26830 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26831 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26832 score = "nil" / <integer>
26833 date = "nil" / <natural number>
26834 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
26835 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
26836 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
26837 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
26838 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26839 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
26840 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
26841 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
26842 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
26843 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
26844 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
26845 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
26846 exclude-files / read-only / touched
26847 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
26848 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
26849 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
26850 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
26851 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
26852 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
26853 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
26854 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
26855 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
26856 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
26857 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
26858 eval = "eval" space <form>
26859 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
26862 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
26865 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
26866 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
26867 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
26868 one looong line, then that's ok.
26870 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
26871 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26875 @subsection Headers
26877 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
26878 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
26879 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
26880 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
26882 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
26883 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
26884 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
26885 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
26886 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
26887 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
26888 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
26890 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
26891 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
26892 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
26893 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
26894 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
26896 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
26897 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
26903 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
26904 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
26906 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
26907 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
26908 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
26909 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
26911 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
26915 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
26918 is transformed into
26921 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
26924 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
26925 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
26928 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
26931 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
26932 is slightly tricky:
26935 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
26941 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
26944 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
26950 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
26957 and is equal to the previous range.
26959 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
26960 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
26961 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
26965 range = simple-range / normal-range
26966 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
26967 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
26968 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
26969 number *[ " " contents ]
26972 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
26973 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
26974 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
26975 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
26976 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
26981 @subsection Group Info
26983 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
26984 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
26985 describes the group.
26987 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
26988 second is a more complex one:
26991 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
26993 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
26994 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
26996 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
26999 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
27000 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
27001 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
27002 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
27003 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
27004 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
27005 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
27006 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
27007 this section is about.
27009 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
27010 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
27011 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
27013 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
27016 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
27017 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
27018 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
27019 group = quote <string> quote
27020 ralevel = rank / level
27021 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27022 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
27023 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
27025 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
27026 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
27027 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
27028 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
27031 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
27032 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
27035 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
27036 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
27039 @item gnus-info-group
27040 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
27041 @findex gnus-info-group
27042 @findex gnus-info-set-group
27043 Get/set the group name.
27045 @item gnus-info-rank
27046 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
27047 @findex gnus-info-rank
27048 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
27049 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
27051 @item gnus-info-level
27052 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
27053 @findex gnus-info-level
27054 @findex gnus-info-set-level
27055 Get/set the group level.
27057 @item gnus-info-score
27058 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
27059 @findex gnus-info-score
27060 @findex gnus-info-set-score
27061 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
27063 @item gnus-info-read
27064 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
27065 @findex gnus-info-read
27066 @findex gnus-info-set-read
27067 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
27069 @item gnus-info-marks
27070 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
27071 @findex gnus-info-marks
27072 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
27073 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
27075 @item gnus-info-method
27076 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
27077 @findex gnus-info-method
27078 @findex gnus-info-set-method
27079 Get/set the group select method.
27081 @item gnus-info-params
27082 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
27083 @findex gnus-info-params
27084 @findex gnus-info-set-params
27085 Get/set the group parameters.
27088 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
27089 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
27091 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
27092 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
27093 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
27094 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
27097 @node Extended Interactive
27098 @subsection Extended Interactive
27099 @cindex interactive
27100 @findex gnus-interactive
27102 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
27103 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
27104 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
27107 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
27108 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
27113 The best thing to do would have been to implement
27114 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
27115 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
27116 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
27117 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
27118 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
27119 @code{interactive}.
27121 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
27126 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
27127 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
27131 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
27132 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
27133 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
27136 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
27140 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
27144 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
27150 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
27151 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
27155 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
27156 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
27157 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
27159 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
27160 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
27161 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
27162 Gnus, that's very useful.
27164 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
27165 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
27166 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
27167 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
27168 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
27169 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
27170 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
27171 following function:
27174 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
27178 (,function ,@@args))
27182 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
27183 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
27184 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
27187 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
27188 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
27189 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
27191 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
27192 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
27193 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
27196 @node Various File Formats
27197 @subsection Various File Formats
27200 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
27201 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
27205 @node Active File Format
27206 @subsubsection Active File Format
27208 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
27209 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
27212 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
27215 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
27216 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
27217 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
27218 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
27219 no.general 1000 900 y
27222 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
27225 active = *group-line
27226 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
27227 group = <non-white-space string>
27229 high-number = <non-negative integer>
27230 low-number = <positive integer>
27231 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
27234 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
27235 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
27238 @node Newsgroups File Format
27239 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
27241 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
27242 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
27243 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
27246 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
27247 Here's the definition:
27251 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
27252 group = <non-white-space string>
27254 description = <string>
27259 @node Emacs for Heathens
27260 @section Emacs for Heathens
27262 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
27263 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
27264 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
27265 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
27266 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
27267 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
27268 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
27272 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
27273 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
27278 @subsection Keystrokes
27282 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
27285 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
27288 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
27289 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
27290 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
27291 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
27292 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
27293 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
27295 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
27296 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
27297 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
27298 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
27299 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
27300 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
27301 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
27303 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
27304 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
27305 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
27306 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
27307 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
27308 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
27309 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
27311 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
27312 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
27313 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
27314 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
27315 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
27321 @subsection Emacs Lisp
27323 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
27324 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
27325 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
27326 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
27328 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
27329 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
27330 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
27331 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
27332 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
27333 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
27334 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
27337 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
27338 write the following:
27341 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
27344 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
27345 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
27346 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
27349 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
27350 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
27351 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
27352 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
27353 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
27355 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
27356 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
27357 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
27361 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
27365 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
27368 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
27369 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
27372 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
27375 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
27376 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
27379 @include gnus-faq.texi
27399 @c Local Variables:
27401 @c coding: iso-8859-1