10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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284 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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293 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
295 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
299 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
300 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
301 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
302 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
303 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
304 License'' in the Emacs manual.
306 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
307 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
308 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
310 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
311 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
312 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
313 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
321 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
323 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
324 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
326 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
327 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
328 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
329 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
330 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
331 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
332 License'' in the Emacs manual.
334 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
335 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
336 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
338 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
339 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
340 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
341 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
349 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
352 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
355 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
357 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
358 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
359 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
360 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
361 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
362 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
363 License'' in the Emacs manual.
365 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
366 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
367 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
369 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
370 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
371 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
372 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
381 @top The Gnus Newsreader
385 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
386 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
387 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
390 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.16.
401 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
402 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
404 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
405 being accused of plagiarism:
407 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
408 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
409 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
410 can even read news with it!
412 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
413 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
414 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
415 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
416 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
422 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
423 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
424 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
425 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
426 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
427 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
428 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
429 * Various:: General purpose settings.
430 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
431 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
432 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
433 * Key Index:: Key Index.
435 Other related manuals
437 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
438 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
439 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
440 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
443 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
447 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
448 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
449 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
450 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
451 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
452 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
453 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
454 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
455 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
456 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
457 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
461 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
462 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
463 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
467 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
468 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
469 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
470 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
471 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
472 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
473 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
474 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
475 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
476 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
477 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
478 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
479 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
480 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
481 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
482 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
483 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
487 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
488 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
489 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
493 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
494 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
495 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
496 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
497 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
501 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
502 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
503 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
504 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
505 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
509 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
510 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
511 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
512 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
513 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
514 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
515 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
516 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
517 * Threading:: How threads are made.
518 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
519 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
520 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
521 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
522 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
523 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
524 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
525 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
526 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
527 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
528 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
529 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
530 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
531 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
532 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
533 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
534 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
535 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
536 or reselecting the current group.
537 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
538 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
539 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
540 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
542 Summary Buffer Format
544 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
545 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
546 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
547 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
551 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
552 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
554 Reply, Followup and Post
556 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
557 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
558 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
559 * Canceling and Superseding::
563 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
564 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
565 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
567 * Generic Marking Commands::
568 * Setting Process Marks::
572 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
573 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
574 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
578 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
579 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
581 Customizing Threading
583 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
584 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
585 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
586 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
590 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
591 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
592 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
593 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
594 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
595 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
599 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
600 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
601 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
605 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
606 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
607 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
608 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
609 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
610 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
611 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
612 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
613 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
614 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
616 Alternative Approaches
618 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
619 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
621 Various Summary Stuff
623 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
624 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
625 * Summary Generation Commands::
626 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
630 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
631 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
632 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
633 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
634 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
638 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
639 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
640 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
641 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
642 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
643 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
644 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
645 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
649 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
650 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
651 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
652 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
653 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
654 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
655 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
656 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
660 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
661 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
662 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
663 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
664 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
665 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
666 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
670 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
671 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
675 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
676 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
677 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
681 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
682 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
683 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
684 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
685 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
686 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
687 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
688 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
689 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
690 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
691 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
692 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
693 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
697 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
698 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
699 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
701 Choosing a Mail Back End
703 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
704 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
705 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
706 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
707 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
708 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
709 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
714 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
715 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
716 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
717 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
718 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
719 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
723 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
724 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
725 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
726 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
727 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
731 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
732 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
733 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
734 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
735 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
739 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
743 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
744 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
745 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
749 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
750 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
754 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
755 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
756 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
757 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
758 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
759 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
760 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
761 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
762 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
763 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
764 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
765 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
769 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
770 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
771 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
775 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
776 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
777 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
781 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
782 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
783 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
784 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
785 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
786 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
787 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
788 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
789 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
790 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
791 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
792 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
793 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
794 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
795 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
796 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
797 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
801 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
802 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
803 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
804 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
808 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
809 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
810 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
814 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
815 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
816 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
817 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
818 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
819 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
820 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
821 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
822 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
823 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
824 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
825 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
826 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
827 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
828 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
829 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
830 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
831 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
832 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
836 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
837 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
838 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
839 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
840 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
841 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
842 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
843 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
847 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
848 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
849 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
850 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
854 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
855 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
856 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
857 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
858 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
859 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
863 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
864 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
865 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
866 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
867 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
868 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
869 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
870 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
871 * Frequently Asked Questions::
875 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
876 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
877 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
878 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
879 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
880 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
881 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
882 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
883 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
887 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
888 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
889 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
890 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
891 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
895 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
896 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
897 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
898 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
902 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
903 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
904 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
905 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
906 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
907 * Group Info:: The group info format.
908 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
909 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
910 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
914 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
915 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
916 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
917 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
918 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
919 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
923 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
924 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
928 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
929 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
935 @chapter Starting Gnus
940 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
941 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
944 @findex gnus-other-frame
945 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
946 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
947 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
949 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
950 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
951 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
953 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
954 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
957 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
958 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
959 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
960 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
961 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
962 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
963 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
964 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
965 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
966 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
967 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
971 @node Finding the News
972 @section Finding the News
975 @vindex gnus-select-method
977 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
978 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
979 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
980 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
983 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
984 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
987 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
990 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
993 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
996 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
997 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
998 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1000 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1002 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1003 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1004 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1005 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1006 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1007 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1009 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1010 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1011 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1012 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1014 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1015 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1016 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1017 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1018 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1019 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1020 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1021 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1022 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1025 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1027 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1028 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1029 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1030 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1031 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1032 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1034 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1036 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1037 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1038 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1039 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1040 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1041 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1044 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1045 you would typically set this variable to
1048 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1052 @node The First Time
1053 @section The First Time
1054 @cindex first time usage
1056 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1057 be subscribed by default.
1059 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1060 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1061 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1062 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1065 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1066 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1067 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1069 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1070 help you with most common problems.
1072 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1073 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1077 @node The Server is Down
1078 @section The Server is Down
1079 @cindex server errors
1081 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1082 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1083 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1085 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1086 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1087 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1088 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1089 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1090 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1091 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1093 @findex gnus-no-server
1094 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1096 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1097 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1098 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1099 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1100 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1101 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1102 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1106 @section Slave Gnusae
1109 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1110 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1111 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1112 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1114 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1115 @file{.newsrc} file.
1117 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1118 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1119 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1120 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1121 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1122 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1123 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1126 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1127 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1128 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1129 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1130 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1131 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1132 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1133 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1135 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1136 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1138 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1139 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1140 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1141 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1142 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1144 @node Fetching a Group
1145 @section Fetching a Group
1146 @cindex fetching a group
1148 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1149 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1150 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1151 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1152 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1153 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1159 @cindex subscription
1161 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1162 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1163 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1164 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1165 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1166 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1167 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1168 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1169 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1172 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1173 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1174 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1178 @node Checking New Groups
1179 @subsection Checking New Groups
1181 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1182 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1183 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1184 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1185 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1186 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1187 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1188 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1189 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1190 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1192 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1193 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1194 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1195 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1196 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1197 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1198 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1199 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1200 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1201 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1202 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1204 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1205 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1206 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1207 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1208 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1209 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1212 @node Subscription Methods
1213 @subsection Subscription Methods
1215 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1216 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1217 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1219 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1220 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1222 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1226 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1227 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1228 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1229 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1230 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1232 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1233 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1234 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1235 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1237 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1238 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1239 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1241 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1242 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1243 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1244 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1245 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1246 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1247 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1248 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1249 up. Or something like that.
1251 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1252 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1253 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1254 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1255 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1257 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1258 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1259 Kill all new groups.
1261 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1262 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1263 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1264 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1265 topic parameter that looks like
1271 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1274 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1279 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1280 A closely related variable is
1281 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1282 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1283 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1284 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1287 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1288 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1289 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1290 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1293 @node Filtering New Groups
1294 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1296 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1297 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1298 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1301 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1304 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1305 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1306 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1307 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1308 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1309 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1310 subscribing these groups.
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1312 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1314 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1315 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1316 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1317 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1318 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1319 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1320 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1321 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1323 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1324 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1325 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1326 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1327 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1328 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1329 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1330 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1331 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1332 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1335 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1336 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1339 @node Changing Servers
1340 @section Changing Servers
1341 @cindex changing servers
1343 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1344 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1345 very flaky and you want to use another.
1347 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1348 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1352 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1353 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1354 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1355 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1358 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1359 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1360 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1361 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1363 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1364 @findex gnus-change-server
1365 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1366 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1367 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1368 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1369 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1371 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1372 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1373 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1374 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1375 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1377 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1378 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1379 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1380 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1381 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1382 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1384 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1385 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1386 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1387 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1389 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1390 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1391 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1392 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1393 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1394 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1395 cache for all groups).
1399 @section Startup Files
1400 @cindex startup files
1405 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1406 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1408 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1409 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1410 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1411 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1412 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1413 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1414 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1416 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1417 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1418 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1419 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1420 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1421 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1423 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1424 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1425 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1426 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1427 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1428 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1429 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1430 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1431 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1432 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1434 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1435 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1436 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1437 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1438 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1439 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1440 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1441 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1442 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1443 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1444 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1445 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1447 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1448 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1449 @vindex version-control
1450 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1451 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1452 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1453 If you want version control for this file, set
1454 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1455 @code{version-control} variable.
1457 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1458 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1459 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1460 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1461 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1462 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1463 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1464 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1465 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1466 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1469 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1470 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1472 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1473 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1476 @vindex gnus-init-file
1477 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1478 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1479 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1480 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1481 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1482 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1483 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1484 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1485 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1486 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1492 @cindex dribble file
1495 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1496 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1497 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1498 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1499 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1502 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1503 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1506 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1507 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1508 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1510 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1511 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1512 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1513 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1514 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1515 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1517 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1518 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1519 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1522 @node The Active File
1523 @section The Active File
1525 @cindex ignored groups
1527 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1528 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1529 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1531 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1532 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1533 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1534 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1535 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1536 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1537 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1540 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1541 @c if you set it to anything else.
1543 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1545 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1546 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1547 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1549 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1550 you actually subscribe to.
1552 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1553 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1554 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1555 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1557 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1558 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1559 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1560 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1561 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1562 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1564 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1565 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1566 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1569 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1570 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1571 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1572 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1573 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1574 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1576 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1577 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1579 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1580 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1582 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1583 secondary select methods.
1586 @node Startup Variables
1587 @section Startup Variables
1591 @item gnus-load-hook
1592 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1593 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1594 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1595 times you start Gnus.
1597 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1598 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1599 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1601 @item gnus-startup-hook
1602 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1603 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1605 @item gnus-started-hook
1606 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1607 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1610 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1611 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1612 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1613 generating the group buffer.
1615 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1616 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1617 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1618 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1619 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1620 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1621 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1622 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1624 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1625 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1626 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1627 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1628 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1629 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1631 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1632 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1633 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1635 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1636 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1637 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1639 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1640 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1641 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1642 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1648 @chapter Group Buffer
1649 @cindex group buffer
1651 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1653 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1654 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1655 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1656 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1657 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1658 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1659 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1660 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1661 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1662 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1663 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1664 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1665 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1666 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1667 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1668 @c human rights at 9...
1671 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1672 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1673 long as Gnus is active.
1677 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1678 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1679 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1680 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1681 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1682 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1683 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1684 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1690 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1691 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1692 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1693 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1694 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1695 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1696 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1697 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1698 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1699 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1700 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1701 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1702 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1703 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1704 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1705 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1706 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1710 @node Group Buffer Format
1711 @section Group Buffer Format
1714 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1715 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1716 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1720 @node Group Line Specification
1721 @subsection Group Line Specification
1722 @cindex group buffer format
1724 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1725 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1727 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1730 25: news.announce.newusers
1731 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1736 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1737 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1738 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1739 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1741 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1742 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1743 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1744 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1745 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1746 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1748 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1750 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1751 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1752 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1753 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1754 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1756 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1757 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1758 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1760 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1765 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1768 Whether the group is subscribed.
1771 Level of subscribedness.
1774 Number of unread articles.
1777 Number of dormant articles.
1780 Number of ticked articles.
1783 Number of read articles.
1786 Number of unseen articles.
1789 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1790 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1792 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1793 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1794 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1795 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1796 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1797 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1798 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1799 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1802 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1805 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1814 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1815 comment element in the group parameters.
1818 Newsgroup description.
1821 @samp{m} if moderated.
1824 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1830 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1836 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1840 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1843 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1844 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1845 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1846 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1847 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1850 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1852 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1856 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1859 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1863 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1864 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1865 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1866 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1867 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1868 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1873 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1874 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1875 group, or a bogus native group.
1878 @node Group Modeline Specification
1879 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1880 @cindex group modeline
1882 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1883 The mode line can be changed by setting
1884 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1885 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1889 The native news server.
1891 The native select method.
1895 @node Group Highlighting
1896 @subsection Group Highlighting
1897 @cindex highlighting
1898 @cindex group highlighting
1900 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1901 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1902 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1903 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1904 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1906 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1910 (cond (window-system
1911 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1912 (defface my-group-face-1
1913 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1914 (defface my-group-face-2
1915 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1916 (defface my-group-face-3
1917 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1918 (defface my-group-face-4
1919 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1920 (defface my-group-face-5
1921 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1923 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1924 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1925 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1926 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1927 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1928 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1931 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1933 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1940 The number of unread articles in the group.
1944 Whether the group is a mail group.
1946 The level of the group.
1948 The score of the group.
1950 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1952 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
1953 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
1955 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1956 topic being inserted.
1959 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1960 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1961 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1963 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1964 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1965 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1966 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1967 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1970 @node Group Maneuvering
1971 @section Group Maneuvering
1972 @cindex group movement
1974 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1975 expected, hopefully.
1981 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1982 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1983 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1989 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1990 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1991 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1995 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1996 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2000 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2001 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2005 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2006 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2007 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2011 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2012 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2013 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2016 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2022 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2023 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2024 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2029 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2030 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2031 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2035 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2036 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2037 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2040 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2041 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2042 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2043 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2047 @node Selecting a Group
2048 @section Selecting a Group
2049 @cindex group selection
2054 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2055 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2056 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2057 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2058 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2059 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2060 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2061 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2062 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2063 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2065 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2066 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2067 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2069 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2070 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2075 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2076 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2077 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2078 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2079 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2083 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2084 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2085 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2086 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2087 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2088 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2089 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2090 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2091 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2092 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2095 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2096 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2097 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2098 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2099 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2102 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2103 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2104 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2105 doing any processing of its contents
2106 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2107 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2108 manner will have no permanent effects.
2112 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2113 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2114 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2115 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2116 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2117 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2118 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2119 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2122 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2123 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2124 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2125 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2126 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2127 Which article this is is controlled by the
2128 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2134 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2137 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2140 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2142 @item unseen-or-unread
2143 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2144 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2148 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2152 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2153 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2155 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2156 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2157 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2158 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2162 @node Subscription Commands
2163 @section Subscription Commands
2164 @cindex subscription
2172 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2173 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2174 Toggle subscription to the current group
2175 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2181 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2182 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2183 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2184 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2190 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2191 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2192 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2198 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2199 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2202 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2203 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2204 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2205 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2206 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2212 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2213 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2217 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2218 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2221 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2222 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2223 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2224 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2225 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2226 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2227 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2228 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2229 @file{.newsrc} file.
2233 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2243 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2244 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2245 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2246 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2247 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2248 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2253 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2254 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2255 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2259 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2260 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2261 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2263 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2264 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2265 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2266 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2267 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2268 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2275 @section Group Levels
2279 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2280 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2281 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2282 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2283 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2285 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2291 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2292 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2293 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2294 prompted for a level.
2297 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2298 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2299 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2300 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2301 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2302 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2303 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2304 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2305 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2306 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2307 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2308 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2309 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2310 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2311 reasons of efficiency.
2313 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2314 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2316 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2317 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2318 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2319 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2320 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2321 groups are hidden, in a way.
2323 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2324 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2325 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2326 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2327 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2328 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2330 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2331 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2332 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2333 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2334 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2335 list of killed groups.)
2337 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2338 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2339 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2341 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2342 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2343 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2344 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2345 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2346 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2347 relevant valid ranges.
2349 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2350 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2351 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2352 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2353 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2354 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2357 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2358 one with the best level.
2360 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2361 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2362 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2365 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2366 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2367 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2368 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2371 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2372 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2373 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2374 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2376 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2377 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2378 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2379 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2380 to 5. The default is 6.
2384 @section Group Score
2389 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2390 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2391 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2394 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2395 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2396 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2397 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2398 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2399 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2400 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2401 least significant part.))
2403 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2404 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2405 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2406 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2407 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2408 action after each summary exit, you can add
2409 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2410 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2411 slow things down somewhat.
2414 @node Marking Groups
2415 @section Marking Groups
2416 @cindex marking groups
2418 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2419 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2420 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2421 bidding on those groups.
2423 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2424 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2425 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2433 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2434 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2440 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2441 Remove the mark from the current group
2442 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2446 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2447 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2451 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2452 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2456 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2457 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2461 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2462 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2463 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2466 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2468 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2469 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2470 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2471 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2472 the command to be executed.
2475 @node Foreign Groups
2476 @section Foreign Groups
2477 @cindex foreign groups
2479 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2480 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2481 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2482 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2489 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2490 @cindex making groups
2491 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2492 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2493 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2497 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2498 @cindex renaming groups
2499 Rename the current group to something else
2500 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2501 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2507 @findex gnus-group-customize
2508 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2512 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2513 @cindex renaming groups
2514 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2515 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2519 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2520 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2521 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2525 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2526 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2527 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2531 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2533 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2534 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2539 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2540 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2544 @cindex (ding) archive
2545 @cindex archive group
2546 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2547 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2548 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2549 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2550 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2551 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2552 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2556 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2558 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2559 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2560 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2561 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2565 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2567 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2568 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2569 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2573 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2574 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2576 Make a group based on some file or other
2577 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2578 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2579 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2580 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2581 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2582 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2583 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2584 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2585 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2589 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2590 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2591 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2592 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2596 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2600 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2601 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2602 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2603 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2604 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2605 @xref{Web Searches}.
2607 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2608 to a particular group by using a match string like
2609 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2612 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2613 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2614 This function will delete the current group
2615 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2616 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2617 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2618 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2619 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2623 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2624 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2625 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2629 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2630 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2631 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2634 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2637 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2638 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2639 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2640 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2641 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2642 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2646 @node Group Parameters
2647 @section Group Parameters
2648 @cindex group parameters
2650 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2651 Here's an example group parameter list:
2654 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2658 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2659 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2660 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2661 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2663 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2664 is an alist of regexps and values.
2666 The following group parameters can be used:
2671 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2674 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2677 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2678 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2679 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2680 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2681 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2683 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2684 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2685 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2686 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2687 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2688 list address instead.
2690 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2694 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2697 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2700 It is totally ignored
2701 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2702 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2704 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2705 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2706 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2707 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2708 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2710 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2711 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2712 sending the message.
2714 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2715 @cindex Mail List Groups
2716 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2717 entering summary buffer.
2719 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2724 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2725 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2726 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2727 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2728 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2729 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2731 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2732 directly uses this group parameter.
2736 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2737 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2738 of whether it has any unread articles.
2740 @item broken-reply-to
2741 @cindex broken-reply-to
2742 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2743 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2744 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2745 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2746 broken behavior. So there!
2750 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2751 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2755 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2756 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2757 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2762 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2763 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2764 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2765 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2766 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2767 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2768 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2769 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2770 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2774 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2775 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2776 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2778 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2781 @cindex total-expire
2782 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2783 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2784 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2785 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2788 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2792 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2793 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2794 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2795 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2796 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2797 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2798 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2801 @cindex score file group parameter
2802 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2803 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2804 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2807 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2808 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2809 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2810 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2813 @cindex admin-address
2814 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2815 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2816 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2817 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2821 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2822 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2826 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2829 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2830 entering the group with C-u @var{integer}.
2833 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2837 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2839 Here are some examples:
2843 Display only unread articles.
2846 Display everything except expirable articles.
2848 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2849 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2853 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2854 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2855 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2856 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2857 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2861 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2862 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2863 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2867 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2868 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2869 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2873 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2874 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2875 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2877 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2879 @item ignored-charsets
2880 @cindex ignored-charset
2881 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2882 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2883 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2885 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2888 @cindex posting-style
2889 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2890 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2891 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2892 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2893 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2895 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2896 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2897 like this in the group parameters:
2902 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2903 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2908 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2909 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2913 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2914 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2915 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2916 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2917 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2921 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2922 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2923 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2924 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2926 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2927 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2928 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2929 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2932 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2933 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2937 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2940 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2941 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2942 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2943 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2944 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2945 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2946 @code{eval}ed there.
2948 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2949 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2950 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2951 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2952 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2953 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2954 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2955 parameters for the group.
2958 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2959 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2960 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2961 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2962 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2966 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2967 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2968 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2969 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2970 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2972 @vindex gnus-parameters
2973 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2974 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2978 (setq gnus-parameters
2980 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2981 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2982 (gnus-summary-line-format
2983 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2987 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2991 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2995 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2998 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2999 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3002 @node Listing Groups
3003 @section Listing Groups
3004 @cindex group listing
3006 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3014 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3015 List all groups that have unread articles
3016 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3017 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3018 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3019 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3026 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3027 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3028 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3029 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3030 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3031 unsubscribed groups).
3035 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3036 List all unread groups on a specific level
3037 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3038 with no unread articles.
3042 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3043 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3044 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3045 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3050 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3051 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3055 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3056 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3057 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3061 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3062 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3066 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3067 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3068 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3069 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3070 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3071 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3072 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3073 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3077 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3078 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3079 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3083 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3084 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3085 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3089 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3090 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3094 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3095 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3099 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3100 List groups limited within the current selection
3101 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3105 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3106 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3110 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3111 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3115 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3116 @cindex visible group parameter
3117 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3118 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3119 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3120 get the same effect.
3122 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3123 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3124 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3125 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3126 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3129 @node Sorting Groups
3130 @section Sorting Groups
3131 @cindex sorting groups
3133 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3134 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3135 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3136 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3137 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3138 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3143 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3144 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3145 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3147 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3148 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3149 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3151 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3152 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3153 Sort by group level.
3155 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3156 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3157 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3159 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3160 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3161 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3162 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3164 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3165 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3166 Sort by number of unread articles.
3168 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3169 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3170 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3172 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3173 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3174 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3179 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3180 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3184 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3185 some sorting criteria:
3189 @kindex G S a (Group)
3190 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3191 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3192 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3195 @kindex G S u (Group)
3196 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3197 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3198 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3201 @kindex G S l (Group)
3202 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3203 Sort the group buffer by group level
3204 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3207 @kindex G S v (Group)
3208 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3209 Sort the group buffer by group score
3210 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3213 @kindex G S r (Group)
3214 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3215 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3216 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3219 @kindex G S m (Group)
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3221 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3222 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3225 @kindex G S n (Group)
3226 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3227 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3228 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3232 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3233 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3235 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3236 commands will sort in reverse order.
3238 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3242 @kindex G P a (Group)
3243 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3244 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3245 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3248 @kindex G P u (Group)
3249 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3250 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3251 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3254 @kindex G P l (Group)
3255 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3256 Sort the groups by group level
3257 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3260 @kindex G P v (Group)
3261 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3262 Sort the groups by group score
3263 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3266 @kindex G P r (Group)
3267 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3268 Sort the groups by group rank
3269 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3272 @kindex G P m (Group)
3273 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3274 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3275 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3278 @kindex G P n (Group)
3279 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3280 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3281 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3284 @kindex G P s (Group)
3285 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3286 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3290 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3294 @node Group Maintenance
3295 @section Group Maintenance
3296 @cindex bogus groups
3301 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3302 Find bogus groups and delete them
3303 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3307 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3308 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3309 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3310 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3311 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3315 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3316 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3317 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3318 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3319 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3320 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3323 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3324 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3325 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3326 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3331 @node Browse Foreign Server
3332 @section Browse Foreign Server
3333 @cindex foreign servers
3334 @cindex browsing servers
3339 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3340 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3341 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3342 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3345 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3346 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3347 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3348 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3350 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3355 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3356 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3360 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3361 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3364 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3365 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3366 Enter the current group and display the first article
3367 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3370 @kindex RET (Browse)
3371 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3372 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3376 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3377 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3378 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3384 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3385 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3389 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3390 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3394 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3395 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3396 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3401 @section Exiting Gnus
3402 @cindex exiting Gnus
3404 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3409 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3410 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3411 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3412 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3416 @findex gnus-group-exit
3417 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3418 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3422 @findex gnus-group-quit
3423 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3424 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3427 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3428 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3429 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3430 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3431 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3432 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3437 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3438 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3439 trying to customize meta-variables.
3444 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3445 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3446 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3452 @section Group Topics
3455 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3456 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3457 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3458 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3459 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3460 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3464 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3465 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3476 2: alt.religion.emacs
3479 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3481 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3482 13: comp.sources.unix
3485 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3487 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3488 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3489 is a toggling command.)
3491 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3492 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3493 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3494 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3497 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3498 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3499 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3502 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3506 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3507 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3508 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3509 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3510 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3514 @node Topic Commands
3515 @subsection Topic Commands
3516 @cindex topic commands
3518 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3519 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3520 definitions slightly.
3522 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3523 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3524 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3525 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3526 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3527 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3529 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3536 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3537 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3538 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3542 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3544 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3545 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3546 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3547 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3550 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3551 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3552 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3553 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3557 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3558 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3559 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3560 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3566 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3567 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3568 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3572 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3573 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3574 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3577 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3578 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3579 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3580 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3581 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3583 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3584 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3588 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3589 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3596 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3598 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3599 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3600 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3601 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3602 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3603 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3607 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3613 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3614 Move the current group to some other topic
3615 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3616 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3620 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3621 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3625 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3626 Copy the current group to some other topic
3627 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3628 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3632 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3633 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3634 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3638 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3639 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3640 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3644 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3645 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3646 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3647 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3648 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3649 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3650 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3653 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3654 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3658 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3659 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3660 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3664 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3665 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3666 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3670 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3671 Toggle hiding empty topics
3672 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3676 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3677 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3678 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3679 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3682 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3683 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3684 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3685 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3686 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3689 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3690 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3691 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3692 expiry process (if any)
3693 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3697 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3698 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3701 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3702 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3703 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3707 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3708 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3709 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3712 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3713 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3714 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3717 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3718 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3719 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3723 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3724 @cindex group parameters
3725 @cindex topic parameters
3727 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3728 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3733 @node Topic Variables
3734 @subsection Topic Variables
3735 @cindex topic variables
3737 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3738 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3740 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3741 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3742 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3755 Number of groups in the topic.
3757 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3759 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3762 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3763 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3764 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3767 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3768 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3770 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3771 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3772 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3776 @subsection Topic Sorting
3777 @cindex topic sorting
3779 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3785 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3786 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3787 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3788 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3791 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3792 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3793 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3794 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3797 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3798 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3799 Sort the current topic by group level
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3803 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3804 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3805 Sort the current topic by group score
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3809 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3810 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3811 Sort the current topic by group rank
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3815 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3816 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3817 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3821 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3822 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3823 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3824 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3828 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3829 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3830 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3831 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3835 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3836 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3840 @node Topic Topology
3841 @subsection Topic Topology
3842 @cindex topic topology
3845 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3851 2: alt.religion.emacs
3854 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3856 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3857 13: comp.sources.unix
3860 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3861 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3862 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3867 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3868 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3872 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3873 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3874 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3875 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3876 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3877 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3879 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3880 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3881 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3884 @node Topic Parameters
3885 @subsection Topic Parameters
3886 @cindex topic parameters
3888 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3889 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3890 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3892 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3897 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3898 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3899 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3902 @item subscribe-level
3903 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3904 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3905 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3909 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3910 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3911 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3912 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3918 2: alt.religion.emacs
3922 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3924 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3925 13: comp.sources.unix
3929 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3930 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3931 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3932 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3933 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3934 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3936 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3937 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3938 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3939 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3940 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3942 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3943 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3944 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3945 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3946 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3947 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3948 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3949 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3952 @node Misc Group Stuff
3953 @section Misc Group Stuff
3956 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3957 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3958 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3959 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3960 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3967 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3968 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3969 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3973 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3974 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3975 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3976 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3977 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3978 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3979 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3983 @findex gnus-group-mail
3984 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3985 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3986 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3987 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3991 @findex gnus-group-news
3992 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3993 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3994 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3996 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3997 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
3998 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3999 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4000 for this to work though.
4004 Variables for the group buffer:
4008 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4009 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4010 is called after the group buffer has been
4013 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4014 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4015 is called after the group buffer is
4016 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4019 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4020 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4021 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4022 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4024 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4025 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4026 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4027 whether they are empty or not.
4029 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4030 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4031 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4032 non-ASCII group names.
4036 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4037 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4040 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4041 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4042 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4043 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4044 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4045 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
4050 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4051 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4056 @node Scanning New Messages
4057 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4058 @cindex new messages
4059 @cindex scanning new news
4065 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4066 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4067 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4068 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4069 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4070 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4075 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4076 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4077 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4078 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4079 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4080 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4081 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4083 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4084 @cindex activating groups
4086 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4087 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4092 @findex gnus-group-restart
4093 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4094 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4095 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4099 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4100 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4102 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4103 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4107 @node Group Information
4108 @subsection Group Information
4109 @cindex group information
4110 @cindex information on groups
4117 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4118 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4121 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4122 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4123 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4124 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4125 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4126 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4127 for fetching the file.
4129 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4130 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4134 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4135 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4137 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4138 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4141 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4142 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4143 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4147 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4148 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4149 @cindex control message
4150 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4151 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4152 group if given a prefix argument.
4154 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4155 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4156 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4157 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4159 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4160 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4161 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4165 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4167 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4168 @cindex describing groups
4169 @cindex group description
4170 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4171 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4172 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4176 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4177 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4178 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4185 @findex gnus-version
4186 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4190 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4191 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4194 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4197 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4198 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4202 @node Group Timestamp
4203 @subsection Group Timestamp
4205 @cindex group timestamps
4207 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4208 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4209 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4212 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4215 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4217 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4218 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4221 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4222 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4225 This will result in lines looking like:
4228 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4229 0: custom 19961002T012713
4232 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4233 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4237 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4238 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4241 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4242 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4246 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4247 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4248 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4249 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4251 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4257 @subsection File Commands
4258 @cindex file commands
4264 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4265 @vindex gnus-init-file
4266 @cindex reading init file
4267 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4268 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4272 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4273 @cindex saving .newsrc
4274 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4275 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4276 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4279 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4280 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4281 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4286 @node Sieve Commands
4287 @subsection Sieve Commands
4288 @cindex group sieve commands
4290 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4291 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4292 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4293 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4294 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4296 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4297 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4298 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4299 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4300 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4301 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4302 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4303 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4304 regenerate the Sieve script.
4306 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4307 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4308 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4309 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4310 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4311 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4312 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4313 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4314 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4315 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4318 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4319 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4324 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4330 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4331 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4332 @cindex generating sieve script
4333 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4334 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4338 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4339 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4340 @cindex updating sieve script
4341 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4342 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4343 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4348 @node Summary Buffer
4349 @chapter Summary Buffer
4350 @cindex summary buffer
4352 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4353 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4355 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4356 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4358 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4361 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4362 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4363 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4364 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4365 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4366 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4367 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4368 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4369 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4370 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4371 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4372 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4373 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4374 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4375 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4376 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4377 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4378 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4379 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4380 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4381 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4382 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4383 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4384 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4385 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4386 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4387 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4388 or reselecting the current group.
4389 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4390 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4391 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4392 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4396 @node Summary Buffer Format
4397 @section Summary Buffer Format
4398 @cindex summary buffer format
4402 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4403 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4404 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4410 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4411 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4412 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4413 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4416 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4417 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4418 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4419 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4420 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4421 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4422 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4423 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4424 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4425 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4426 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4429 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4430 'mail-extract-address-components)
4433 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4434 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4435 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4436 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4439 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4440 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4442 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4443 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4444 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4445 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4446 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4448 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4449 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4450 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4451 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4452 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4453 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4455 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4457 The following format specification characters and extended format
4458 specification(s) are understood:
4464 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4465 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4467 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4468 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4469 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4471 Full @code{From} header.
4473 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4475 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4478 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4479 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4480 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4481 may be more thorough.
4483 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4486 Number of lines in the article.
4488 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4489 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4491 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4492 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4494 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4496 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4497 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4510 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4511 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4512 replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
4515 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4516 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4517 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4518 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4520 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4521 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4522 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4523 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4525 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4526 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4527 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4529 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4530 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4531 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4533 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4534 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4535 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4537 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4538 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4539 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4544 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4545 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4547 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4548 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4550 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4551 for adopted articles.
4553 One space for each thread level.
4555 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4557 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4560 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4561 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4562 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4565 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4567 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4568 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4569 default level. If the difference between
4570 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4571 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4579 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4581 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4587 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4588 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4590 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4591 article has any children.
4597 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4598 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4600 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4601 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4602 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4603 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4604 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4605 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4608 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4609 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4610 There can only be one such area.
4612 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4613 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4614 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4615 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4616 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4617 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4619 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4620 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4622 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4625 @node To From Newsgroups
4626 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4630 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4631 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4632 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4633 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4634 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4638 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4639 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4640 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4644 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4645 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4648 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4649 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4652 @findex gnus-extra-header
4653 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4654 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4655 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4658 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4662 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4663 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4664 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4665 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4666 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4667 headers are used instead.
4671 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4672 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4673 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files.
4674 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
4675 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
4676 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
4679 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4680 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4681 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4682 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4684 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4688 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4690 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4691 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4692 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4693 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4697 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4700 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4701 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4704 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4705 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4706 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4712 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4713 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4716 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4717 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4719 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4720 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4721 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4722 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4724 Here are the elements you can play with:
4730 Unprefixed group name.
4732 Current article number.
4734 Current article score.
4738 Number of unread articles in this group.
4740 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4743 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4744 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4745 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4746 and no unselected ones.
4748 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4749 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4751 Subject of the current article.
4753 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4755 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4757 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4759 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4761 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4763 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4767 @node Summary Highlighting
4768 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4772 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4773 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4774 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4775 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4776 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4778 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4779 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4780 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4781 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4783 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4784 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4785 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4786 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4788 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4789 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4790 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4791 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4792 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4793 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4796 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4797 ((> score default) . bold))
4799 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4800 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4804 @node Summary Maneuvering
4805 @section Summary Maneuvering
4806 @cindex summary movement
4808 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4809 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4811 None of these commands select articles.
4816 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4817 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4818 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4819 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4820 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4824 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4825 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4826 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4827 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4828 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4831 @kindex G g (Summary)
4832 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4833 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4834 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4837 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4838 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4839 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4840 to the group buffer.
4842 Variables related to summary movement:
4846 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4847 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4848 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4849 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4850 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4851 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4852 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4853 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4854 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4855 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4856 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4857 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4858 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4859 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4861 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4862 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4863 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4864 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4865 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4866 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4867 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4869 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4871 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4872 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4873 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4874 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4875 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4877 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4878 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4879 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4880 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4881 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4882 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4883 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4884 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4887 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4888 the given number of lines from the top.
4893 @node Choosing Articles
4894 @section Choosing Articles
4895 @cindex selecting articles
4898 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4899 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4903 @node Choosing Commands
4904 @subsection Choosing Commands
4906 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4907 and they all select and display an article.
4909 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4910 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4914 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4915 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4916 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4917 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4919 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4920 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4921 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4926 @kindex G n (Summary)
4927 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4928 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4929 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4934 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4935 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4936 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4941 @kindex G N (Summary)
4942 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4943 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4948 @kindex G P (Summary)
4949 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4950 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4953 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4954 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4955 Go to the next article with the same subject
4956 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4959 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4960 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4961 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4962 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4966 @kindex G f (Summary)
4968 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4969 Go to the first unread article
4970 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4974 @kindex G b (Summary)
4976 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4977 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4978 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4979 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4984 @kindex G l (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4986 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4989 @kindex G o (Summary)
4990 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4992 @cindex article history
4993 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4994 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4995 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4996 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4997 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4998 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5003 @kindex G j (Summary)
5004 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5005 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5006 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5011 @node Choosing Variables
5012 @subsection Choosing Variables
5014 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5017 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5018 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5019 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5020 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5021 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5022 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5024 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5025 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5026 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5027 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5028 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5029 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5031 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5032 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5033 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5034 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5035 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5036 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5037 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5038 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5039 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5040 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5041 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5042 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5043 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5044 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5049 @node Paging the Article
5050 @section Scrolling the Article
5051 @cindex article scrolling
5056 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5057 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5058 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5059 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5060 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5062 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5063 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5064 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5065 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5066 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5067 what is considered uninteresting with
5068 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5069 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5072 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5073 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5074 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5077 @kindex RET (Summary)
5078 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5079 Scroll the current article one line forward
5080 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5083 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5084 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5085 Scroll the current article one line backward
5086 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5090 @kindex A g (Summary)
5092 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5093 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5094 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5095 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5096 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5097 the way it came from the server.
5099 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5100 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5101 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5104 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5109 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5114 @kindex A < (Summary)
5115 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5116 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5117 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5122 @kindex A > (Summary)
5123 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5124 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5128 @kindex A s (Summary)
5130 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5131 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5132 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5136 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5137 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5142 @node Reply Followup and Post
5143 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5146 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5147 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5148 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5149 * Canceling and Superseding::
5153 @node Summary Mail Commands
5154 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5156 @cindex composing mail
5158 Commands for composing a mail message:
5164 @kindex S r (Summary)
5166 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5167 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5168 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5169 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5170 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5175 @kindex S R (Summary)
5176 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5177 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5178 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5179 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5180 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5183 @kindex S w (Summary)
5184 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5185 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5186 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5187 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5188 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5191 @kindex S W (Summary)
5192 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5193 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5194 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5195 the process/prefix convention.
5198 @kindex S v (Summary)
5199 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5200 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5201 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5202 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5203 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5204 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5207 @kindex S V (Summary)
5208 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5209 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5210 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5211 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5214 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5216 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5217 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5220 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5221 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5222 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5223 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5224 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5228 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5229 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5230 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5231 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5232 Forward the current article to some other person
5233 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5234 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5235 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5236 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5237 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5238 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5239 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5240 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5241 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5247 @kindex S m (Summary)
5248 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5249 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5250 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5251 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5252 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5257 @kindex S i (Summary)
5258 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5259 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5260 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5261 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5263 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5264 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5265 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5266 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5267 for this to work though.
5270 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5271 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5272 @cindex bouncing mail
5273 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5274 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5275 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5276 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5277 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5278 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5279 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5280 very well fail, though.
5283 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5284 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5285 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5286 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5287 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5288 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5289 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5290 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5291 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5292 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5294 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5295 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5296 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5297 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5298 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5300 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5301 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5304 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5305 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5306 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5307 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5308 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5311 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5312 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5313 @cindex crossposting
5314 @cindex excessive crossposting
5315 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5316 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5318 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5319 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5320 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5321 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5322 command understands the process/prefix convention
5323 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5327 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5328 Manual}, for more information.
5331 @node Summary Post Commands
5332 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5334 @cindex composing news
5336 Commands for posting a news article:
5342 @kindex S p (Summary)
5343 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5344 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5345 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5346 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5347 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5352 @kindex S f (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5354 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5355 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5359 @kindex S F (Summary)
5361 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5362 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5363 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5364 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5365 process/prefix convention.
5368 @kindex S n (Summary)
5369 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5370 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5371 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5374 @kindex S N (Summary)
5375 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5376 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5377 message through mail and include the original message
5378 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5379 the process/prefix convention.
5382 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5383 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5384 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5385 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5386 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5387 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5388 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5389 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5390 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5391 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5392 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5393 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5394 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5397 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5398 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5400 @cindex making digests
5401 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5402 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5403 process/prefix convention.
5406 @kindex S u (Summary)
5407 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5408 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5409 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5410 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5413 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5414 Manual}, for more information.
5417 @node Summary Message Commands
5418 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5422 @kindex S y (Summary)
5423 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5424 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5425 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5426 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5427 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5432 @node Canceling and Superseding
5433 @subsection Canceling Articles
5434 @cindex canceling articles
5435 @cindex superseding articles
5437 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5438 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5440 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5442 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5444 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5445 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5446 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5447 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5448 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5449 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5451 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5452 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5455 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5456 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5457 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5459 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5460 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5461 your original article.
5463 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5465 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5466 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5467 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5470 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5471 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5472 have posted almost the same article twice.
5474 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5475 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5476 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5477 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5478 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5479 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5480 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5481 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5482 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5483 canceled/superseded.
5485 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5487 @node Delayed Articles
5488 @section Delayed Articles
5489 @cindex delayed sending
5490 @cindex send delayed
5492 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5493 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5494 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5495 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5498 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5501 @findex gnus-delay-article
5502 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5503 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5504 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5505 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5509 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5510 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5511 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5512 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5515 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5516 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5517 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5520 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5521 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5522 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5523 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5524 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5525 that means a time tomorrow.
5528 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5529 couple of variables:
5532 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5533 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5534 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5535 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5537 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5538 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5539 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5540 formats described above.
5542 @item gnus-delay-group
5543 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5544 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5545 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5546 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5548 @item gnus-delay-header
5549 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5550 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5551 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5552 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5555 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5556 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5557 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5558 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5559 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5561 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5562 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5563 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5564 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5565 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5566 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5567 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5570 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5571 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5572 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5573 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5574 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5575 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5576 argument is ignored.
5578 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5579 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5580 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5584 @node Marking Articles
5585 @section Marking Articles
5586 @cindex article marking
5587 @cindex article ticking
5590 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5592 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5593 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5594 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5596 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5599 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5600 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5601 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5605 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5609 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5610 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5611 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5615 @node Unread Articles
5616 @subsection Unread Articles
5618 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5623 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5624 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5626 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5627 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5628 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5629 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5630 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5631 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5632 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5635 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5636 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5638 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5639 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5640 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5641 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5645 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5646 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5648 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5653 @subsection Read Articles
5654 @cindex expirable mark
5656 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5661 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5662 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5663 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5666 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5667 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5670 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5671 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5672 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5675 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5676 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5679 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5680 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5683 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5684 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5687 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5688 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5691 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5692 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5695 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5696 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5699 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5700 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5704 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5705 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5706 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5710 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5711 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5713 One more special mark, though:
5717 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5718 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5720 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5721 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5722 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5723 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5729 @subsection Other Marks
5730 @cindex process mark
5733 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5739 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5740 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5741 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5742 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5743 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5746 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5747 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5748 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5749 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5752 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5753 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5754 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5757 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5758 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5759 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5762 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5763 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5764 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5765 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5768 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5769 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5770 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5771 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5772 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5773 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5776 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5777 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5778 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5779 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5782 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5783 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5784 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5785 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5786 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5790 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5791 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5792 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5793 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5794 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5795 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5798 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5799 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5800 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5801 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5802 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5803 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5807 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5808 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5809 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5810 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5811 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5814 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5815 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5816 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5817 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5818 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5819 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5823 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5824 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5825 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5827 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5828 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5829 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5833 @subsection Setting Marks
5834 @cindex setting marks
5836 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5841 @kindex M c (Summary)
5842 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5843 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5844 @cindex mark as unread
5845 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5846 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5852 @kindex M t (Summary)
5853 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5854 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5855 @xref{Article Caching}.
5860 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5861 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5862 Mark the current article as dormant
5863 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5867 @kindex M d (Summary)
5869 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5870 Mark the current article as read
5871 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5875 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5876 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5877 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5882 @kindex M k (Summary)
5883 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5884 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5885 and then select the next unread article
5886 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5890 @kindex M K (Summary)
5891 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5892 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5893 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5894 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5897 @kindex M C (Summary)
5898 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5899 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5900 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5903 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5904 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5905 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5906 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5909 @kindex M H (Summary)
5910 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5911 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5912 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5915 @kindex M h (Summary)
5916 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5917 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5918 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5921 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5922 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5923 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5924 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5927 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5929 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5930 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5934 @kindex M e (Summary)
5936 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5937 Mark the current article as expirable
5938 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5941 @kindex M b (Summary)
5942 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5943 Set a bookmark in the current article
5944 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5947 @kindex M B (Summary)
5948 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5949 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5950 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5953 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5954 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5955 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5956 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5959 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5960 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5961 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5962 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5965 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5966 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5967 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5968 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5969 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5972 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5973 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5974 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5975 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5976 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5977 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5978 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5979 The default is @code{t}.
5982 @node Generic Marking Commands
5983 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5985 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5986 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5987 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5988 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5989 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5992 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5993 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5996 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5997 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5998 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5999 to list in this manual.
6001 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6002 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6003 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6004 article, you could say something like:
6007 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6008 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6009 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6015 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6016 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6020 @node Setting Process Marks
6021 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6022 @cindex setting process marks
6024 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6025 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6026 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6027 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6028 commands into the cache. For more information,
6029 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6036 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6037 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6038 Mark the current article with the process mark
6039 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6040 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6044 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6045 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6046 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6047 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6050 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6051 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6052 Remove the process mark from all articles
6053 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6056 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6058 Invert the list of process marked articles
6059 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6062 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6064 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6065 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6068 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6069 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6070 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6071 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6074 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6075 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6076 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6080 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6081 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6084 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6085 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6086 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6087 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6090 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6091 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6092 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6093 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6096 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6097 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6098 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6099 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6102 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6103 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6104 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6107 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6108 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6109 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6110 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6113 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6114 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6115 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6118 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6119 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6120 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6121 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6124 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6125 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6126 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6127 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6130 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6131 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6132 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6133 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6136 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6138 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6139 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6143 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6144 set process marks based on article body contents.
6151 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6152 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6153 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6156 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6157 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6158 additional articles.
6164 @kindex / / (Summary)
6165 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6166 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6167 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6171 @kindex / a (Summary)
6172 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6173 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6174 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6178 @kindex / x (Summary)
6179 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6180 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6181 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6182 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6187 @kindex / u (Summary)
6189 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6190 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6191 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6192 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6193 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6196 @kindex / m (Summary)
6197 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6198 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6199 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6202 @kindex / t (Summary)
6203 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6204 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6205 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6206 articles younger than that number of days.
6209 @kindex / n (Summary)
6210 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6211 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6212 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6213 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6216 @kindex / w (Summary)
6217 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6218 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6219 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6223 @kindex / . (Summary)
6224 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6225 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6226 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6229 @kindex / v (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6231 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6232 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6235 @kindex / p (Summary)
6236 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6237 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6238 group parameter predicate
6239 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6240 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6244 @kindex M S (Summary)
6245 @kindex / E (Summary)
6246 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6247 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6248 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6251 @kindex / D (Summary)
6252 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6253 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6254 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6257 @kindex / * (Summary)
6258 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6259 Include all cached articles in the limit
6260 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6263 @kindex / d (Summary)
6264 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6265 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6266 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6269 @kindex / M (Summary)
6270 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6271 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6274 @kindex / T (Summary)
6275 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6276 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6279 @kindex / c (Summary)
6280 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6281 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6282 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6285 @kindex / C (Summary)
6286 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6287 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6288 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6289 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6292 @kindex / N (Summary)
6293 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6294 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6295 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6298 @kindex / o (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6300 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6301 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6309 @cindex article threading
6311 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6312 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6313 hierarchical fashion.
6315 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6316 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6317 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6318 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6319 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6320 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6321 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6323 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6327 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6330 A tree-like article structure.
6333 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6336 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6337 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6338 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6339 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6340 called loose threads.
6342 @item thread gathering
6343 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6345 @item sparse threads
6346 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6347 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6353 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6354 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6358 @node Customizing Threading
6359 @subsection Customizing Threading
6360 @cindex customizing threading
6363 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6364 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6365 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6366 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6371 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6374 @cindex loose threads
6377 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6378 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6379 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6380 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6381 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6382 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6384 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6385 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6386 There are four possible values:
6390 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6391 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6392 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6393 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6394 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6399 @cindex adopting articles
6404 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6405 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6406 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6407 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6410 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6411 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6412 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6413 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6414 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6415 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6416 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6417 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6418 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6419 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6422 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6423 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6424 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6428 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6429 display them after one another.
6432 Don't gather loose threads.
6435 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6436 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6437 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6438 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6439 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6440 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6441 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6442 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6443 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6444 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6445 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6447 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6448 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6449 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6452 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6453 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6454 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6455 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6456 simplification is used.
6458 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6459 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6460 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6461 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6463 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6465 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6471 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6472 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6473 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6474 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6479 (mapconcat 'identity
6480 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6482 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6485 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6488 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6489 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6490 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6491 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6492 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6493 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6495 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6498 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6499 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6500 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6502 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6503 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6506 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6507 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6508 Remove excessive whitespace.
6510 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6511 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6512 Remove all whitespace.
6515 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6518 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6519 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6520 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6521 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6522 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6523 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6524 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6525 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6527 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6528 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6529 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6530 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6531 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6532 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6533 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6534 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6535 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6539 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6540 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6541 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6542 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6544 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6545 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6546 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6549 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6553 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6554 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6560 @node Filling In Threads
6561 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6564 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6565 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6566 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6567 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6568 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6569 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6570 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6571 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6572 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6573 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6574 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6575 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6578 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6579 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6580 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6582 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6583 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6584 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6585 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6586 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6587 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6588 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6589 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6590 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6591 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6592 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6593 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6594 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6595 @code{nil} by default.
6597 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6598 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6599 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6600 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6601 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6602 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6603 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6605 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6606 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6607 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6612 @node More Threading
6613 @subsubsection More Threading
6616 @item gnus-show-threads
6617 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6618 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6619 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6620 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6621 slower and more awkward.
6623 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6624 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6625 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6628 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6629 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6630 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6635 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6636 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6637 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6640 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6641 unread, but you get my drift.)
6644 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6645 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6646 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6647 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6648 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6649 threads are expunged.
6651 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6652 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6653 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6656 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6657 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6658 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6659 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6660 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6661 result in a new thread.
6663 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6664 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6665 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6668 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6669 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6670 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6671 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6672 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6673 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6674 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6675 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6676 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6677 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6678 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6683 @node Low-Level Threading
6684 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6688 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6689 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6690 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6692 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6693 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6694 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6695 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6696 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6697 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6698 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6699 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6700 meaningful. Here's one example:
6703 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6705 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6706 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6708 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6710 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6717 @node Thread Commands
6718 @subsection Thread Commands
6719 @cindex thread commands
6725 @kindex T k (Summary)
6726 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6727 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6728 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6729 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6730 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6735 @kindex T l (Summary)
6736 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6737 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6738 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6739 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6742 @kindex T i (Summary)
6743 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6744 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6745 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6748 @kindex T # (Summary)
6749 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6750 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6751 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6754 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6755 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6756 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6757 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6760 @kindex T T (Summary)
6761 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6762 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6765 @kindex T s (Summary)
6766 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6767 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6768 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6771 @kindex T h (Summary)
6772 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6773 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6776 @kindex T S (Summary)
6777 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6778 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6781 @kindex T H (Summary)
6782 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6783 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6786 @kindex T t (Summary)
6787 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6788 Re-thread the current article's thread
6789 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6790 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6793 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6794 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6795 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6796 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6800 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6801 understand the numeric prefix.
6806 @kindex T n (Summary)
6808 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6810 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6811 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6812 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6815 @kindex T p (Summary)
6817 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6819 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6820 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6821 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6824 @kindex T d (Summary)
6825 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6826 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6829 @kindex T u (Summary)
6830 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6831 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6834 @kindex T o (Summary)
6835 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6836 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6839 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6840 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6841 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6842 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6843 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6844 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6845 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6846 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6847 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6848 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6849 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6850 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6854 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6855 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6857 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6858 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6859 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6860 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6861 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6862 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6863 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6864 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6865 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6866 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6867 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6868 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6869 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6871 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6872 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6873 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6874 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6875 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6876 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6877 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6878 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6880 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6881 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6882 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6884 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6885 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6886 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6887 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6888 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6889 ascending article order.
6891 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6892 by number, you could do something like:
6895 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6896 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6897 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6898 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6901 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6902 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6903 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6904 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6905 which the articles arrived.
6907 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6911 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6913 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6914 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6917 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6918 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6919 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6920 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6923 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6924 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6925 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6926 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6927 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6928 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6929 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6930 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6931 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6932 variable. It is very similar to the
6933 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6934 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6935 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6936 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6937 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6938 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6939 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6941 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6945 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6946 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6947 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6952 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6953 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6954 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6955 @cindex article pre-fetch
6958 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6959 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6960 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6961 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6962 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6964 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6965 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6967 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6968 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6969 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6970 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6971 connection is blocked.
6973 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6974 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6975 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6976 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6978 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6979 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6980 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6981 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6984 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
6987 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6988 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6989 happen automatically.
6991 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6992 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6993 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6994 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6995 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6996 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6997 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6999 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7000 @findex gnus-async-read-p
7001 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7002 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7003 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7004 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7005 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
7006 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7007 article data structure as the only parameter.
7009 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7010 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7013 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7014 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7015 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7016 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7019 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7022 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7023 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7024 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7026 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7027 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7028 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7029 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7033 Remove articles when they are read.
7036 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7039 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7041 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7042 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7043 @c from the next group.
7046 @node Article Caching
7047 @section Article Caching
7048 @cindex article caching
7051 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
7052 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7053 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7054 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7055 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7057 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7059 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7060 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7061 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7062 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7063 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7064 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7065 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7066 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7068 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7069 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7070 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7071 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7072 as dormant, and don't worry.
7074 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7076 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7077 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7078 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7079 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7080 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7081 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7082 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7083 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7084 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7085 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7087 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7088 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7089 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7090 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7091 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7092 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7093 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7094 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7095 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7096 not then be downloaded by this command.
7098 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7099 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7100 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7101 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7102 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7103 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7105 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7106 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7107 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7108 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7109 variables, the group is not cached.
7111 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7112 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7113 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7114 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7115 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7116 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7117 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7118 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7119 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7122 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7123 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7124 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7125 where, isn't that cool?
7127 @node Persistent Articles
7128 @section Persistent Articles
7129 @cindex persistent articles
7131 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7132 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7133 useful in my opinion.
7135 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7136 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7137 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7138 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7139 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7140 the expiry going on at the news server.
7142 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7143 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7144 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7150 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7151 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7154 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7155 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7156 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7157 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7161 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7163 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7164 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7165 interested in persistent articles:
7168 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7172 @node Article Backlog
7173 @section Article Backlog
7175 @cindex article backlog
7177 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7178 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7179 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7180 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7181 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7182 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7183 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7184 increase memory usage some.
7186 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7187 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7188 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7189 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7190 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7191 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7192 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7194 The default value is 20.
7197 @node Saving Articles
7198 @section Saving Articles
7199 @cindex saving articles
7201 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7202 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7203 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7204 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7205 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7207 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7208 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7209 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7211 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7212 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7213 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7215 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7216 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7217 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7218 deleted before saving.
7224 @kindex O o (Summary)
7226 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7227 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7228 Save the current article using the default article saver
7229 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7232 @kindex O m (Summary)
7233 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7234 Save the current article in mail format
7235 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7238 @kindex O r (Summary)
7239 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7240 Save the current article in rmail format
7241 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7244 @kindex O f (Summary)
7245 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7246 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7247 Save the current article in plain file format
7248 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7251 @kindex O F (Summary)
7252 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7253 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7254 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7257 @kindex O b (Summary)
7258 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7259 Save the current article body in plain file format
7260 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7263 @kindex O h (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7265 Save the current article in mh folder format
7266 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7269 @kindex O v (Summary)
7270 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7271 Save the current article in a VM folder
7272 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7276 @kindex O p (Summary)
7278 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7279 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7280 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7281 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7282 complete headers in the piped output.
7285 @kindex O P (Summary)
7286 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7287 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7288 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7289 external program Muttprint (see
7290 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7291 options to use is controlled by the variable
7292 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7296 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7297 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7298 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7299 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7300 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7301 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7302 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7303 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7304 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7305 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7306 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7307 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7311 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7312 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7313 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7314 functions below, or you can create your own.
7318 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7319 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7320 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7321 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7322 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7323 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7324 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7326 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7327 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7328 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7329 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7330 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7331 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7333 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7334 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7335 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7336 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7337 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7338 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7339 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7341 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7342 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7343 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7344 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7345 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7346 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7348 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7349 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7350 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7351 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7352 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7354 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7355 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7356 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7357 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7358 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7361 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7362 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7363 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7364 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7365 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7367 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7368 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7369 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7370 reader to use this setting.
7373 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7374 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7375 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7376 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7379 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7380 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7381 available functions that generate names:
7385 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7386 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7387 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7389 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7390 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7391 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7393 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7394 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7395 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7397 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7398 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7399 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7401 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7402 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7403 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7406 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7407 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7408 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7409 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7410 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7414 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7415 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7416 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7417 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7420 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7421 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7422 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7423 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7424 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7425 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7426 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7427 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7428 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7430 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7431 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7432 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7433 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7435 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7436 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7437 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7440 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7441 lots of mail groups called things like
7442 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7443 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7444 following will do just that:
7447 (defun my-save-name (group)
7448 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7449 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7451 (setq gnus-split-methods
7452 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7457 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7458 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7459 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7460 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7461 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7462 all the files in the top level directory
7463 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7464 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7465 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7466 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7468 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7469 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7470 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7471 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7472 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7475 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7479 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7480 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7481 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7484 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7485 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7486 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7487 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7490 @node Decoding Articles
7491 @section Decoding Articles
7492 @cindex decoding articles
7494 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7495 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7498 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7499 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7500 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7501 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7502 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7503 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7507 @cindex article series
7508 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7509 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7510 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7511 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7512 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7514 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7515 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7516 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7518 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7519 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7520 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7522 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7523 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7524 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7527 @node Uuencoded Articles
7528 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7530 @cindex uuencoded articles
7535 @kindex X u (Summary)
7536 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7537 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7538 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7541 @kindex X U (Summary)
7542 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7543 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7544 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7547 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7548 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7549 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7552 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7553 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7554 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7555 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7559 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7560 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7561 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7562 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7563 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7565 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7566 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7567 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7568 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7571 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7572 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7573 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7574 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7575 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7576 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7580 @node Shell Archives
7581 @subsection Shell Archives
7583 @cindex shell archives
7584 @cindex shared articles
7586 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7587 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7588 some commands to deal with these:
7593 @kindex X s (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7595 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7598 @kindex X S (Summary)
7599 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7600 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7603 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7604 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7605 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7608 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7609 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7610 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7611 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7615 @node PostScript Files
7616 @subsection PostScript Files
7622 @kindex X p (Summary)
7623 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7624 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7627 @kindex X P (Summary)
7628 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7629 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7630 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7633 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7634 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7635 View the current PostScript series
7636 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7639 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7640 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7641 View and save the current PostScript series
7642 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7647 @subsection Other Files
7651 @kindex X o (Summary)
7652 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7653 Save the current series
7654 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7657 @kindex X b (Summary)
7658 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7659 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7660 doesn't really work yet.
7664 @node Decoding Variables
7665 @subsection Decoding Variables
7667 Adjective, not verb.
7670 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7671 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7672 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7676 @node Rule Variables
7677 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7678 @cindex rule variables
7680 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7681 variables are of the form
7684 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7691 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7692 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7694 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7695 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
7698 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7699 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7702 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7703 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7704 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7705 user and default view rules.
7707 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7708 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7709 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7714 @node Other Decode Variables
7715 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7718 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7720 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7721 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7722 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7723 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7724 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7728 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7729 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7732 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7733 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7734 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7737 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7738 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7739 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7740 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7741 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7744 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7745 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7746 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7748 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7749 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7750 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7751 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7752 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7755 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7756 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7757 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7759 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7760 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7761 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7762 looking for files to display.
7764 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7765 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7766 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7769 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7770 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7771 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7774 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7775 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7776 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7779 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7780 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7781 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7784 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7785 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7786 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7787 decoded articles as unread.
7789 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7790 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7791 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7792 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7794 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7795 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7796 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7798 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7799 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7801 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7802 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7803 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7804 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7806 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7807 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7808 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7809 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7810 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7811 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7812 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7813 simply dropped them.
7818 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7819 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7823 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7824 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7825 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7826 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7827 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7828 for you when you post the article.
7830 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7831 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7832 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7833 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7835 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7836 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7837 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7838 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7839 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7840 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7841 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
7843 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7844 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7845 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7846 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7847 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7848 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7849 Default is @code{t}.
7855 @subsection Viewing Files
7856 @cindex viewing files
7857 @cindex pseudo-articles
7859 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7860 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7861 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7862 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7863 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7864 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7865 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7867 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7868 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7869 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7870 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7872 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7873 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7874 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7876 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7877 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7878 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7879 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7880 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7882 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7883 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7884 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7885 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7886 a list of parameters to that command.
7888 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7889 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7890 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7892 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7893 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7894 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7897 @node Article Treatment
7898 @section Article Treatment
7900 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7901 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7902 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7903 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7904 these articles easier.
7907 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7908 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7909 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7910 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7911 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7912 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7913 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7914 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7915 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7916 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7920 @node Article Highlighting
7921 @subsection Article Highlighting
7922 @cindex highlighting
7924 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7925 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7930 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7931 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7932 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7933 Do much highlighting of the current article
7934 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7935 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7938 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7939 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7940 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7941 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7942 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7943 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7944 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7945 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7946 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7947 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7948 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7949 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7952 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7953 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7954 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7956 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7959 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7961 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7962 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7963 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7965 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7966 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7967 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7969 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7970 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7971 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7972 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7973 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7974 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7976 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7977 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7978 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7980 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7981 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7982 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7984 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7985 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7986 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7987 that it's a citation.
7989 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7990 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7991 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7993 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7994 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7995 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7997 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7998 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7999 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8000 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8006 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8007 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8008 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8009 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8010 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8011 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8012 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8013 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8018 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8021 @node Article Fontisizing
8022 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8024 @cindex article emphasis
8026 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8027 @kindex W e (Summary)
8028 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8029 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8030 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8031 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8033 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8034 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8035 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8036 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8037 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8038 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8039 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8040 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8044 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8045 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8046 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8055 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8056 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8057 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8058 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8059 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8060 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8061 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8062 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8063 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8064 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8065 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8066 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8067 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8069 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8070 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8071 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8075 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8078 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8080 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8081 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8082 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8083 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8085 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8088 @node Article Hiding
8089 @subsection Article Hiding
8090 @cindex article hiding
8092 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8093 too much cruft in most articles.
8098 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8099 @findex gnus-article-hide
8100 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8101 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8102 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8105 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8106 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8107 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8111 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8112 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8113 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8114 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8117 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8118 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8119 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8123 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8124 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8125 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8126 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8127 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8128 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8129 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8130 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8134 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8135 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8136 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8137 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8142 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8143 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8144 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8145 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8148 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8150 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8151 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8154 @cindex stripping advertisements
8155 @cindex advertisements
8156 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8157 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8158 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8159 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8160 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8161 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8162 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8163 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8164 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8165 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8168 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8169 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8170 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8174 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8175 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8176 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8177 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8178 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8179 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8180 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8181 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8182 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8183 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8184 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8187 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8193 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8194 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8195 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8196 customizing the hiding:
8200 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8201 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8202 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8203 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8204 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8205 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8206 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8211 Starting point of the hidden text.
8213 Ending point of the hidden text.
8215 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8217 Number of lines of hidden text.
8220 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8221 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8222 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8223 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8224 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8229 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8230 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8232 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8233 following two variables:
8236 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8237 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8238 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8239 50), hide the cited text.
8241 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8242 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8243 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8248 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8249 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8250 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8251 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8252 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8253 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8257 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8258 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8259 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8261 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8262 citation customization.
8264 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8268 @node Article Washing
8269 @subsection Article Washing
8271 @cindex article washing
8273 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8274 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8276 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8277 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8280 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8281 articles by default.
8286 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8287 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8291 Force redisplaying of the current article
8292 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8293 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8294 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8295 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8298 @kindex W l (Summary)
8299 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8300 Remove page breaks from the current article
8301 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8305 @kindex W r (Summary)
8306 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8307 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8308 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8309 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8310 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8311 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8313 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8314 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8315 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8316 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8319 @kindex W m (Summary)
8320 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8321 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8325 @kindex W t (Summary)
8327 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8328 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8329 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8332 @kindex W v (Summary)
8333 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8334 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8335 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8338 @kindex W o (Summary)
8339 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8340 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8343 @kindex W d (Summary)
8344 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8345 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8347 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8349 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8350 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8351 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8352 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8355 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8356 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8357 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8358 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8361 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8362 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8363 @cindex Outlook Express
8364 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8365 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8366 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8369 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8370 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8371 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8372 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8373 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8374 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8375 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8376 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8377 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8378 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8381 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8382 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8383 Repair a broken attribution line.
8384 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8387 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8388 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8389 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8390 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8393 @kindex W w (Summary)
8394 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8395 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8397 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8401 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8402 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8403 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8406 @kindex W C (Summary)
8407 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8408 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8409 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8412 @kindex W c (Summary)
8413 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8414 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8415 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8416 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8417 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8420 @kindex W q (Summary)
8421 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8422 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8423 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8424 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8425 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8426 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8427 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8428 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8429 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8432 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8433 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8434 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8435 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8436 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8437 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8438 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8440 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8443 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8444 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8445 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8446 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8447 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8450 @kindex W u (Summary)
8451 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8452 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8453 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8454 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8455 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8458 @kindex W h (Summary)
8459 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8460 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8461 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8462 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8464 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8466 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8467 The default is to use the function specified by
8468 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{(emacs-mime)Display
8469 Customization}) to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by
8470 the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions
8471 you can use include:
8478 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8482 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8485 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8488 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8493 @kindex W b (Summary)
8494 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8495 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8496 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8499 @kindex W B (Summary)
8500 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8501 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8502 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8505 @kindex W p (Summary)
8506 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8507 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8508 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8509 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8510 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8511 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8512 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8515 @kindex W s (Summary)
8516 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8517 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8518 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8521 @kindex W a (Summary)
8522 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8523 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8524 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8527 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8528 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8529 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8530 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8533 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8534 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8535 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8536 lines with a single empty line.
8537 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8540 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8541 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8542 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8543 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8546 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8547 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8548 Do all the three commands above
8549 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8552 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8553 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8554 Remove all blank lines
8555 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8558 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8559 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8560 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8561 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8564 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8565 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8566 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8567 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8571 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8574 @node Article Header
8575 @subsection Article Header
8577 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8582 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8583 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8584 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8587 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8588 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8589 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8590 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8593 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8594 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8595 Fold all the message headers
8596 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8600 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8601 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8602 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8607 @node Article Buttons
8608 @subsection Article Buttons
8611 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8612 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8613 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8614 button on these references.
8616 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8617 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8618 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8619 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8620 one that handles article heads:
8624 @item gnus-button-alist
8625 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8626 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8629 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8635 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8636 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8637 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8638 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8639 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8642 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8643 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8644 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8647 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8648 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8649 avoid false matches.
8652 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8655 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8656 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8660 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8663 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8666 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8667 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8668 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8669 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8670 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8673 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8676 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8678 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8679 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8680 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8681 default values of the variables above.
8683 @item gnus-article-button-face
8684 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8685 Face used on buttons.
8687 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8688 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8689 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8693 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8697 @subsection Article Date
8699 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8700 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8701 when the article was sent.
8706 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8707 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8708 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8709 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8712 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8713 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8715 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8716 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8719 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8720 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8721 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8724 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8725 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8726 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8727 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8730 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8731 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8732 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8733 @findex format-time-string
8734 Display the date using a user-defined format
8735 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8736 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8737 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8738 for a list of possible format specs.
8741 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8742 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8743 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8744 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8745 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8746 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8749 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8752 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8753 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8754 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8757 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8758 into wonderful absurdities.
8760 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8763 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8766 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8767 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8771 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8772 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8773 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8774 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8775 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8776 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8777 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8781 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8782 preferred format automatically.
8785 @node Article Display
8786 @subsection Article Display
8791 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8792 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8794 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8795 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8797 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8798 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8800 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8801 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8803 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8808 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8809 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8810 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8811 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8814 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8815 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8816 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8817 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8820 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8821 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8822 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8825 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8826 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8827 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8830 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8831 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8832 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8833 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8836 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8837 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8838 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8839 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8842 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8843 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8844 Remove all images from the article buffer
8845 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8851 @node Article Signature
8852 @subsection Article Signature
8854 @cindex article signature
8856 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8857 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8858 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8859 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8860 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8861 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8862 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8863 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8864 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8867 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8868 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8869 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8870 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8871 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8872 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8873 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8874 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8877 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8880 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8881 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8882 signature when displaying articles.
8886 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8889 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8892 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8893 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8895 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8896 in question is not a signature.
8899 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8900 listed above. Here's an example:
8903 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8904 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8907 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8908 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8909 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8910 signature after all.
8913 @node Article Miscellania
8914 @subsection Article Miscellania
8918 @kindex A t (Summary)
8919 @findex gnus-article-babel
8920 Translate the article from one language to another
8921 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8927 @section MIME Commands
8928 @cindex MIME decoding
8930 @cindex viewing attachments
8932 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8933 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8939 @kindex K v (Summary)
8940 View the @sc{mime} part.
8943 @kindex K o (Summary)
8944 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8947 @kindex K c (Summary)
8948 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8951 @kindex K e (Summary)
8952 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8955 @kindex K i (Summary)
8956 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8959 @kindex K | (Summary)
8960 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8963 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8968 @kindex K b (Summary)
8969 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8970 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8974 @kindex K m (Summary)
8975 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8976 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8977 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8978 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8979 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8982 @kindex X m (Summary)
8983 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8984 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8985 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8986 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8989 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8990 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8991 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8992 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8995 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8996 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8997 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8998 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9001 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9002 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9003 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9004 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9006 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9007 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9008 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9009 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9010 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9011 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9014 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9015 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9016 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
9017 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9024 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9025 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9026 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9027 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9030 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9033 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9037 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9038 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9039 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9040 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
9041 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9042 default is @code{nil}.
9044 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9045 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9046 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
9047 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9048 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9049 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9050 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9052 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9053 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9054 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9055 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9056 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9057 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9058 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9059 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
9061 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9062 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9063 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9064 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9065 displayed. This variable overrides
9066 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9067 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9070 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9071 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9072 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9074 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9075 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9076 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9077 value is @code{nil}.
9079 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9080 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9081 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9082 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9083 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9084 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9085 save all jpegs into some directory).
9087 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9090 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9091 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9093 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9094 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9095 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9096 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9097 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9100 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9101 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9102 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9104 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9105 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9106 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9107 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9109 Ready-made functions include@*
9110 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9111 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9112 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9113 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9114 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9115 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9116 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9117 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9118 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9119 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9120 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9121 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9123 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9124 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9126 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9127 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9128 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9131 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9132 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9133 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9134 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9138 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9147 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9148 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9149 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9150 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9151 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9152 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9153 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9155 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9156 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9157 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9158 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9160 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9161 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9162 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9163 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9164 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9165 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9166 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9167 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9168 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9170 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9171 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9172 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9173 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9174 quoted-printable header encoding.
9176 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9177 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9178 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9182 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9185 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9186 means encode all charsets),
9188 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9189 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9190 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9197 @cindex coding system aliases
9198 @cindex preferred charset
9200 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9202 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9203 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9206 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9207 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9210 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9211 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9213 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9216 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9219 This will almost do the right thing.
9221 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9225 (codepage-setup 1251)
9226 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9230 @node Article Commands
9231 @section Article Commands
9238 @kindex A P (Summary)
9239 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9240 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9241 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9242 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9243 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9244 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9249 @node Summary Sorting
9250 @section Summary Sorting
9251 @cindex summary sorting
9253 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9254 can't really see why you'd want that.
9259 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9260 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9261 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9264 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9265 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9266 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9269 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9270 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9271 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9274 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9275 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9276 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9279 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9280 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9281 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9284 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9285 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9286 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9289 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9290 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9291 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9294 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9295 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9296 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9299 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9300 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9301 Sort using the default sorting method
9302 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9305 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9306 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9307 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9308 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9309 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9313 @node Finding the Parent
9314 @section Finding the Parent
9315 @cindex parent articles
9316 @cindex referring articles
9321 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9322 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9323 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9324 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9325 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9326 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9327 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9328 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9329 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9331 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9332 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9333 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9334 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9335 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9339 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9340 @kindex A R (Summary)
9341 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9342 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9345 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9346 @kindex A T (Summary)
9347 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9348 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9349 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9350 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9351 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9352 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9353 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9355 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9356 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9357 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9358 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9359 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9360 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9363 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9364 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9366 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9367 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9368 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9369 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9370 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9371 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9372 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9375 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9376 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9377 by giving this command a prefix.
9379 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9380 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9381 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9382 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9383 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9384 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9387 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9388 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9389 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9392 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9393 then ask Google if that fails:
9396 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9398 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9401 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9402 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9403 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9404 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9405 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9406 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9407 support this at all.
9410 @node Alternative Approaches
9411 @section Alternative Approaches
9413 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9414 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9417 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9418 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9423 @subsection Pick and Read
9424 @cindex pick and read
9426 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9427 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9428 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9429 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9431 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9432 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9433 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9434 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9435 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9436 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9438 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9443 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9444 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9445 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9446 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9447 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9448 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9449 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9450 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9453 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9454 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9455 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9456 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9460 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9461 Unpick the thread or article
9462 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9463 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9464 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9465 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9466 the thread or article at that line.
9470 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9471 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9472 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9473 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9474 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9475 will still be visible when you are reading.
9479 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9480 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9481 which is mapped to the same function
9482 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9484 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9487 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9490 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9491 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9493 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9494 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9495 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9497 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9498 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9499 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9500 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9501 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9502 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9503 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9507 @subsection Binary Groups
9508 @cindex binary groups
9510 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9511 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9512 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9513 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9514 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9515 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9516 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9519 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9520 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9521 command, when you have turned on this mode
9522 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9524 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9525 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9529 @section Tree Display
9532 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9533 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9534 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9535 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9538 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9541 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9542 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9543 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9545 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9546 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9547 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9548 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9549 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9551 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9552 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9553 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9554 default is @code{modeline}.
9556 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9557 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9558 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9559 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9560 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9561 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9562 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9568 The name of the poster.
9570 The @code{From} header.
9572 The number of the article.
9574 The opening bracket.
9576 The closing bracket.
9581 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9583 Variables related to the display are:
9586 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9587 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9588 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9589 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9590 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9591 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9593 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9594 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9595 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9596 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9600 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9601 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9602 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9603 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9604 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9605 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9606 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9607 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9608 other windows displayed next to it.
9610 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9614 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9615 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9618 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9619 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9620 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9621 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9622 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9623 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9624 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9628 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9631 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9641 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9645 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9646 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9648 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9650 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9655 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9656 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9657 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9660 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9661 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9662 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9663 (gnus-add-configuration
9667 (summary 0.75 point)
9672 @xref{Window Layout}.
9675 @node Mail Group Commands
9676 @section Mail Group Commands
9677 @cindex mail group commands
9679 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9680 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9682 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9683 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9688 @kindex B e (Summary)
9689 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9690 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9691 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9692 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9693 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9696 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9697 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9698 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9699 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9700 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9701 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9704 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9705 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9706 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9707 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9708 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9709 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9712 @kindex B m (Summary)
9714 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9715 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9716 Move the article from one mail group to another
9717 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9718 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9721 @kindex B c (Summary)
9723 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9724 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9725 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9726 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9727 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9730 @kindex B B (Summary)
9731 @cindex crosspost mail
9732 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9733 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9734 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9735 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9736 be properly updated.
9739 @kindex B i (Summary)
9740 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9741 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9742 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9743 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9746 @kindex B I (Summary)
9747 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9748 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9749 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9750 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9753 @kindex B r (Summary)
9754 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9755 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9756 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9757 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9758 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9759 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9760 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9761 (which is the default).
9765 @kindex B w (Summary)
9767 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9768 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9769 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9770 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9771 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9772 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9773 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9776 @kindex B q (Summary)
9777 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9778 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9779 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9780 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9783 @kindex B t (Summary)
9784 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9785 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9786 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9789 @kindex B p (Summary)
9790 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9791 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
9792 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9793 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9794 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9795 article from your news server (or rather, from
9796 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9797 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9798 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9799 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9800 just not have arrived yet.
9803 @kindex K E (Summary)
9804 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9805 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9806 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9807 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9808 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9812 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9813 @cindex moving articles
9814 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9815 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9816 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9817 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9818 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9819 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9820 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9823 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9824 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9825 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9826 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9830 @node Various Summary Stuff
9831 @section Various Summary Stuff
9834 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9835 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9836 * Summary Generation Commands::
9837 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9841 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
9842 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
9843 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
9844 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
9845 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
9846 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
9848 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9849 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9850 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9852 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9853 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9854 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9855 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9856 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9857 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9860 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9861 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9862 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9863 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9864 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9866 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9867 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9868 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9871 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9872 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9873 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9874 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9875 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9876 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9877 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9878 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9879 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9880 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9882 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9883 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9884 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9885 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9886 list of articles to be selected.
9888 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9889 the list in one particular group:
9892 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9893 (if (string= group "some.group")
9894 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9898 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9899 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9900 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9901 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9902 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9903 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9904 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9905 buffers. For example:
9908 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9909 '(message-use-followup-to
9910 (gnus-visible-headers .
9911 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9917 @node Summary Group Information
9918 @subsection Summary Group Information
9923 @kindex H f (Summary)
9924 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9925 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9926 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9927 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9928 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9929 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9930 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9931 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9932 be used for fetching the file.
9935 @kindex H d (Summary)
9936 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9937 Give a brief description of the current group
9938 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9939 rereading the description from the server.
9942 @kindex H h (Summary)
9943 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9944 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9945 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9948 @kindex H i (Summary)
9949 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9950 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9954 @node Searching for Articles
9955 @subsection Searching for Articles
9960 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9961 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9962 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9963 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9966 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9967 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9968 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9969 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9973 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9974 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9975 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9976 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9977 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9978 search backward instead.
9980 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9981 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9984 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9985 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9986 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9987 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9990 @node Summary Generation Commands
9991 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9996 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9997 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9998 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10001 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10002 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10003 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10004 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10007 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10008 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10009 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10010 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10015 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10016 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10022 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10023 @kindex A D (Summary)
10024 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10025 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10026 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10027 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10028 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10029 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10030 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10031 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10035 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10036 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10037 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10038 several documents into one biiig group
10039 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10040 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10041 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10042 command understands the process/prefix convention
10043 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10046 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10047 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10048 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10049 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10050 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10051 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10054 @kindex = (Summary)
10055 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10056 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10057 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10060 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10061 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10062 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10063 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10066 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10067 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10068 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10069 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10074 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10075 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10076 @cindex summary exit
10077 @cindex exiting groups
10079 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10080 group and return you to the group buffer.
10086 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10087 @kindex q (Summary)
10088 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10089 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10090 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10091 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10092 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10093 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10094 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10095 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10096 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10097 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10098 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10099 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10103 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10104 @kindex Q (Summary)
10105 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10106 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10107 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10111 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10112 @kindex c (Summary)
10113 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10114 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10115 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10116 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10119 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10120 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10121 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10122 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10125 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10126 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10127 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10128 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10131 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10132 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10133 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10134 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10135 all articles, both read and unread.
10139 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10140 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10141 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10142 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10143 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10144 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10145 articles, both read and unread.
10148 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10149 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10150 Exit the group and go to the next group
10151 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10154 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10155 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10156 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10157 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10160 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10161 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10162 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10163 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10164 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10165 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10168 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10169 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10170 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10171 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10173 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10174 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10175 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10176 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10177 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10178 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10179 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10180 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10181 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10182 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10183 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10184 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10186 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10188 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10189 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10190 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10191 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10192 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10193 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10194 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10195 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10196 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10199 @node Crosspost Handling
10200 @section Crosspost Handling
10204 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10205 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10206 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10207 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10208 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10209 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10212 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10213 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10214 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10215 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10216 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10218 @cindex cross-posting
10221 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10222 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10223 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10224 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10225 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10226 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10227 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10228 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10229 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10230 the cross reference mechanism.
10232 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10233 @cindex overview.fmt
10234 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10235 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10236 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10237 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10238 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10239 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10242 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10243 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10244 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10249 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10252 @node Duplicate Suppression
10253 @section Duplicate Suppression
10255 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10256 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10257 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10258 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10263 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10264 is evil and not very common.
10267 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10268 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10271 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10272 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10275 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10278 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10279 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10281 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10282 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10283 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10284 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10285 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10286 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10287 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10290 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10291 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10292 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10293 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10294 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10295 saw the article in.
10298 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10299 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10300 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10302 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10303 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10304 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10305 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10306 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10307 session are suppressed.
10309 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10310 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10311 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10312 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10314 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10315 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10316 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10317 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10320 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10321 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10322 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10323 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10324 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10325 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10326 to you to figure out, I think.
10331 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10332 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10333 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10337 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10338 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10339 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10340 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10343 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10344 or newer is recommended.
10348 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10349 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10352 @item mm-verify-option
10353 @vindex mm-verify-option
10354 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10355 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10356 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10358 @item mm-decrypt-option
10359 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10360 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10361 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10362 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10365 @vindex mml1991-use
10366 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10367 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10368 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10371 @vindex mml2015-use
10372 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10373 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10374 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10379 @section Mailing List
10381 @kindex A M (summary)
10382 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10383 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10384 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10385 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10388 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10393 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10394 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10395 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10398 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10399 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10400 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10403 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10404 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10405 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10409 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10410 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10411 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10414 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10415 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10416 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10419 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10420 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10421 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10425 @node Article Buffer
10426 @chapter Article Buffer
10427 @cindex article buffer
10429 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10430 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10431 tell Gnus otherwise.
10434 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10435 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10436 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10437 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10438 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10442 @node Hiding Headers
10443 @section Hiding Headers
10444 @cindex hiding headers
10445 @cindex deleting headers
10447 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10448 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10450 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10451 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10452 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10453 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10454 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10455 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10456 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10457 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10458 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10460 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10464 @item gnus-visible-headers
10465 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10466 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10467 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10468 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10470 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10471 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10474 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10477 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10480 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10481 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10482 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10483 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10484 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10485 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10487 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10488 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10491 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10494 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10497 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10498 variable will have no effect.
10502 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10503 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10504 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10505 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10506 the headers are to be displayed.
10508 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10509 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10512 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10515 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10516 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10518 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10519 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10520 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10521 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10522 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10523 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10524 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10527 These conditions are:
10530 Remove all empty headers.
10532 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10533 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10535 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10536 @code{From} header.
10538 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10541 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10542 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10544 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10545 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10547 Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
10548 the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
10550 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10553 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10555 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10558 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10561 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10562 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10565 This is also the default value for this variable.
10569 @section Using MIME
10572 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10573 while people stand around yawning.
10575 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10576 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10578 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10579 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10580 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10582 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10583 @findex gnus-display-mime
10584 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10585 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10586 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10587 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10589 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10593 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10594 @item RET (Article)
10595 @kindex RET (Article)
10596 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10597 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10598 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10599 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10600 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10601 object is displayed inline.
10603 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10604 @item M-RET (Article)
10605 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10607 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10608 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10610 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10612 @kindex t (Article)
10613 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10614 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10616 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10618 @kindex C (Article)
10619 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10620 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10622 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10624 @kindex o (Article)
10625 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10626 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10628 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10629 @item C-o (Article)
10630 @kindex C-o (Article)
10631 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10632 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10633 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10634 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10635 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10636 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10638 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
10640 @kindex d (Article)
10641 Delete the @sc{mime} object from the article and replace it with some
10642 information about the removed @sc{mime} object
10643 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
10645 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10647 @kindex c (Article)
10648 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10649 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10650 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10651 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10652 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10654 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10656 @kindex p (Article)
10657 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10658 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10659 @file{.mailcap} file.
10661 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10663 @kindex i (Article)
10664 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10665 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10666 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10667 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10668 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10671 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10673 @kindex E (Article)
10674 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10675 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10676 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10678 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10680 @kindex e (Article)
10681 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10682 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10684 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10686 @kindex | (Article)
10687 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10689 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10691 @kindex . (Article)
10692 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10693 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10697 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10698 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10701 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10702 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10703 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10704 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10705 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10706 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10707 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10708 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10709 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10711 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10713 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10716 @node Customizing Articles
10717 @section Customizing Articles
10718 @cindex article customization
10720 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10721 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10722 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10723 called automatically when you select the articles.
10725 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10726 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10727 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10728 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10730 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10731 for sensible values.
10735 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10738 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10741 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10744 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10747 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10751 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10752 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10753 regexps in the list.
10756 A list where the first element is not a string:
10758 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10759 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10760 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10764 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10769 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10770 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10771 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10772 considered to contain just a single part.
10774 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10775 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10776 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10777 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10778 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10779 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10780 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10782 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10783 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10784 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10785 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10788 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10789 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10791 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10793 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10794 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10795 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10796 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10797 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10798 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10799 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10800 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10801 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10802 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10804 @xref{Article Washing}.
10806 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10807 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10808 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10809 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10810 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10811 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10812 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10814 @xref{Article Date}.
10816 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10817 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10818 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10822 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10824 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10826 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10827 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10828 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10832 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10836 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10837 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10838 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10839 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10840 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10841 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10842 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10843 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10844 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
10845 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
10847 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10849 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10850 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10851 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10853 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10855 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10856 @item gnus-treat-translate
10857 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10859 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10860 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10861 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10862 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10864 @xref{Article Header}.
10869 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10870 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10871 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10872 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10873 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10877 @node Article Keymap
10878 @section Article Keymap
10880 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10881 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10882 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10883 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10886 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10891 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10892 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10893 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10894 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
10897 @kindex DEL (Article)
10898 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10899 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10900 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
10903 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10904 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10905 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10906 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10907 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10910 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10911 @findex gnus-article-mail
10912 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10913 given a prefix, include the mail.
10916 @kindex s (Article)
10917 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10918 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10919 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10922 @kindex ? (Article)
10923 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10924 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10925 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10928 @kindex TAB (Article)
10929 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10930 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10931 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10934 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10935 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10936 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10939 @kindex R (Article)
10940 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10941 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10942 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10943 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10947 @kindex F (Article)
10948 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10949 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10950 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10951 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10959 @section Misc Article
10963 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10964 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10965 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10966 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10969 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10970 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10972 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10973 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10975 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10976 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10977 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10978 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10979 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10980 the contents of the article buffer.
10982 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10983 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10984 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10986 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10987 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10988 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10989 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10991 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10992 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10993 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10994 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10995 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
11001 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11002 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11003 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11008 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11011 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11014 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11015 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11016 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11019 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11022 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11025 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11030 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
11034 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11036 @item gnus-break-pages
11037 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11038 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11039 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11040 paging will not be done.
11042 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11043 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11044 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11049 @node Composing Messages
11050 @chapter Composing Messages
11051 @cindex composing messages
11054 @cindex sending mail
11059 @cindex using s/mime
11060 @cindex using smime
11062 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11063 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11064 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11065 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11066 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11067 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11070 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11071 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11072 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11073 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11074 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11075 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11076 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11077 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11080 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11081 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11087 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11090 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11091 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11092 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11093 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11094 @code{nil} include all headers.
11096 @item gnus-add-to-list
11097 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11098 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11099 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11101 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11102 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11103 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11104 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11105 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11106 confirmation is should be asked for.
11108 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11109 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11111 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11112 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11113 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11114 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11115 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11120 @node Posting Server
11121 @section Posting Server
11123 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11124 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11126 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11128 It can be quite complicated.
11130 @vindex gnus-post-method
11131 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11132 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11133 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11134 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11135 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11136 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11137 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11138 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11139 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11142 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11145 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11146 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11147 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11148 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11150 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11151 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11153 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11154 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11157 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11158 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11160 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11161 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11162 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11163 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11164 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11165 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11166 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11167 package correctly. An example:
11170 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11171 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11174 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11175 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11176 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11178 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11179 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11180 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11182 @node Mail and Post
11183 @section Mail and Post
11185 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11189 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11190 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11191 @cindex mailing lists
11193 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11194 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11195 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11196 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11197 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11198 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11199 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11200 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11201 still a pain, though.
11203 @item gnus-user-agent
11204 @vindex gnus-user-agent
11207 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
11208 User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
11209 Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
11210 @code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
11211 configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
11212 system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
11213 use a valid format, see RFC 2616."
11217 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11218 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11219 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11222 @findex ispell-message
11224 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11227 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11228 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11231 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11235 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11236 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11238 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11241 Modify to suit your needs.
11244 @node Archived Messages
11245 @section Archived Messages
11246 @cindex archived messages
11247 @cindex sent messages
11249 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11250 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11251 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11252 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11255 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11256 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11259 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11260 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11261 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11264 (nnfolder "archive"
11265 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11266 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11267 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11268 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11271 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11272 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11273 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11274 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11277 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11278 '(nnfolder "archive"
11279 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11280 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11281 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11284 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11286 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11287 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11288 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11290 This variable can be used to do the following:
11295 Messages will be saved in that group.
11297 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11298 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11299 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11300 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11301 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11302 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11303 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11304 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11308 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11310 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11311 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11314 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11319 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11321 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11324 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11326 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11329 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11331 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11332 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11333 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11334 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11337 More complex stuff:
11339 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11340 '((if (message-news-p)
11345 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11346 messages in one file per month:
11349 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11350 '((if (message-news-p)
11352 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11355 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11356 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11358 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11359 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11360 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11361 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11362 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11363 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11364 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11365 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11366 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11367 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11369 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11370 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11371 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11372 this will disable archiving.
11375 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11376 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11377 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11378 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11379 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11382 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11383 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11384 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11387 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11388 but the latter is the preferred method.
11390 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11391 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11392 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11394 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11395 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11396 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11397 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11398 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11399 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11400 changed in the future.
11405 @node Posting Styles
11406 @section Posting Styles
11407 @cindex posting styles
11410 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11412 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11413 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11414 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11417 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11418 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11419 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11420 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11421 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11426 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11427 (organization "What me?"))
11429 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11430 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11431 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11434 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11435 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11436 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11437 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11438 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11439 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11440 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11441 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11443 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11444 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11445 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
11446 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
11447 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
11448 @var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
11449 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
11450 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11451 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
11452 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11453 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11454 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
11455 said to @dfn{match}.
11457 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11458 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11459 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11460 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11461 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11462 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11463 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11464 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11465 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11466 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11469 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11470 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11471 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11472 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11473 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11474 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11475 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11476 references chars lines xref extra.
11478 @vindex message-reply-headers
11480 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11481 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11482 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11484 @findex message-mail-p
11485 @findex message-news-p
11487 So here's a new example:
11490 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11492 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11494 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11495 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11497 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11498 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11499 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11500 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11501 (signature my-news-signature))
11502 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11503 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11504 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11505 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11506 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11507 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11508 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11509 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11510 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11511 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11513 (From (save-excursion
11514 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11515 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11517 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11520 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11521 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11522 if you fill many roles.
11529 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11530 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11531 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11532 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11533 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11535 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11536 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11537 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11538 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11539 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11543 @vindex nndraft-directory
11544 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11545 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11546 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11547 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11548 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11549 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11551 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11552 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11555 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11556 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11557 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11558 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11559 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11560 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11561 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11562 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11563 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11564 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11565 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11566 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11567 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11568 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11570 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11571 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11572 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11574 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11575 @kindex D e (Draft)
11576 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11577 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11578 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11580 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11583 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11584 @kindex D s (Draft)
11585 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11586 @kindex D S (Draft)
11587 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11588 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11589 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11590 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11591 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11594 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11595 @kindex D t (Draft)
11596 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11597 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11598 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11601 @node Rejected Articles
11602 @section Rejected Articles
11603 @cindex rejected articles
11605 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11606 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11607 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11608 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11610 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11611 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11612 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11613 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11614 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11616 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11617 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11618 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11620 @node Signing and encrypting
11621 @section Signing and encrypting
11623 @cindex using s/mime
11624 @cindex using smime
11626 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11627 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11628 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11629 (@pxref{Security}).
11631 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11632 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11633 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11634 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11635 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11636 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11637 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11638 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11639 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11640 automatically encrypted messages.
11642 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11643 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11644 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11649 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11650 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11652 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11655 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11656 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11658 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11661 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11662 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11664 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11667 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11668 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11670 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11673 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11674 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11676 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11679 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11680 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11682 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11685 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11686 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11687 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11691 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11693 @node Select Methods
11694 @chapter Select Methods
11695 @cindex foreign groups
11696 @cindex select methods
11698 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11699 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11700 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11701 personal mail group.
11703 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11704 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11705 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11706 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11707 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11708 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11710 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11711 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11713 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11716 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11717 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11718 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11719 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11720 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11722 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11725 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11726 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11727 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11728 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11729 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11730 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11731 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11732 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11736 @node Server Buffer
11737 @section Server Buffer
11739 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11740 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11741 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11742 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11743 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11744 back end represents a virtual server.
11746 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11747 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11748 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11749 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11751 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11752 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11753 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11754 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11755 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11756 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11757 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11759 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11760 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11763 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11764 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11765 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11766 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11767 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11768 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11769 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11772 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11773 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11776 @node Server Buffer Format
11777 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11778 @cindex server buffer format
11780 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11781 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11782 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11783 variable, with some simple extensions:
11788 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11791 The name of this server.
11794 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11797 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11800 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11801 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11802 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11803 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11813 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11816 @node Server Commands
11817 @subsection Server Commands
11818 @cindex server commands
11824 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11825 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11829 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11830 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11833 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11834 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11835 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11839 @findex gnus-server-exit
11840 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11844 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11845 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11849 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11850 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11854 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11855 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11859 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11860 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11864 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11865 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11866 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11871 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11872 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11873 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11874 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11879 @node Example Methods
11880 @subsection Example Methods
11882 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11885 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11888 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11894 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11895 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11898 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11899 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11901 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11902 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11906 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11909 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11910 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11912 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11913 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11914 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11918 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11921 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11924 Here's the method for a public spool:
11928 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11929 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11935 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11936 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11937 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11938 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11939 should probably look something like this:
11943 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11944 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11945 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11946 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11949 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11950 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11951 configuration to the example above:
11954 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11957 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11959 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11960 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11961 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11965 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11966 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11967 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11968 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11971 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11972 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11973 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11974 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11977 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11978 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11980 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11981 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11983 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11984 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11985 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11987 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11989 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11990 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11991 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11992 will contain the following:
12002 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
12003 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
12004 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
12007 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
12008 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
12009 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
12012 @node Server Variables
12013 @subsection Server Variables
12015 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
12016 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
12017 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
12018 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
12019 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
12021 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
12022 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
12023 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
12024 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
12025 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
12026 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
12027 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
12028 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
12029 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12033 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12034 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12035 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12039 @node Servers and Methods
12040 @subsection Servers and Methods
12042 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12043 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12044 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12045 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12049 @node Unavailable Servers
12050 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12052 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12053 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12054 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12055 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12056 actually the case or not.
12058 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12059 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12060 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12061 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12062 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12063 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12064 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12065 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12067 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12068 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12070 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12071 with the following commands:
12077 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12078 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12079 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12083 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12084 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12085 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12089 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12090 Mark the current server as unreachable
12091 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12094 @kindex M-o (Server)
12095 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12096 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12097 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12100 @kindex M-c (Server)
12101 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12102 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12103 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12107 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12108 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12109 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12113 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12114 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12120 @section Getting News
12121 @cindex reading news
12122 @cindex news back ends
12124 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12125 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
12126 or it can read from a local spool.
12129 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
12130 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12138 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
12139 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
12140 server as the, uhm, address.
12142 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12143 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12144 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12145 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12147 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12148 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12149 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12151 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12156 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12157 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12158 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12160 @cindex authentification
12161 @cindex nntp authentification
12162 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12163 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12164 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12165 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
12166 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12167 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12168 present in this hook.
12170 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12171 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12172 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12173 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12174 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12175 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12176 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12177 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12178 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12179 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12180 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12181 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12185 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12188 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12190 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12191 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12192 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12193 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12194 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12195 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12196 @samp{force} is explained below.
12200 Here's an example file:
12203 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12204 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12207 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12208 have to be first, for instance.
12210 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12211 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12212 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12213 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12214 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12215 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12216 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12218 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12219 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12225 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12226 previously mentioned.
12228 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12230 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12231 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12232 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12233 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12234 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12237 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12238 '(("innd" (ding))))
12241 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12243 The default value is
12246 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12247 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12248 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12251 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12252 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12254 @item nntp-maximum-request
12255 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12256 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12257 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12258 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12259 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12260 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12261 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12263 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12264 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12265 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12266 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12267 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12268 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12269 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12270 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12271 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12272 no timeouts are done.
12274 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12275 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12276 @c @cindex PPP connections
12277 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12278 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12279 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12280 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12281 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12282 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12283 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12284 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12285 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12286 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12288 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12289 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12290 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12291 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12292 @c described above.
12294 @item nntp-server-hook
12295 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12296 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12299 @item nntp-buggy-select
12300 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12301 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12303 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12304 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12305 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12306 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12309 @item nntp-xover-commands
12310 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12313 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12314 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12318 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12319 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12320 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12321 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12322 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12323 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12324 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12325 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12326 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12327 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12328 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12330 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12331 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12332 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12334 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12335 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12336 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12337 server closes connection.
12339 @item nntp-record-commands
12340 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12341 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12342 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12343 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12344 that doesn't seem to work.
12346 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12347 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12348 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12349 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12350 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12351 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12352 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12353 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12355 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12356 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12357 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12358 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12359 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12360 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12361 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12364 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12367 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12368 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12370 @item nntp-read-timeout
12371 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12372 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12373 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12374 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12375 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12381 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12382 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12383 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12387 @node Direct Functions
12388 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12389 @cindex direct connection functions
12391 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12392 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12393 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12394 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12397 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12398 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12399 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12402 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12403 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12404 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
12405 you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12406 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}. You then
12407 define a server as follows:
12410 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12412 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12413 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12415 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12416 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12417 (nntp-port-number 563)
12418 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12421 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12422 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12423 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12424 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12425 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12426 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12427 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12428 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12432 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12433 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12434 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12437 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12438 session, which is not a good idea.
12442 @node Indirect Functions
12443 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12444 @cindex indirect connection functions
12446 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12447 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12448 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12449 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
12450 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12451 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12454 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12455 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12456 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12457 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12458 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12460 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12463 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12464 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12465 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12466 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12468 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12469 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12470 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12471 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12472 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
12473 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12474 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12475 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12478 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12479 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12480 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12481 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12483 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12486 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12487 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12488 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12491 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12492 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12493 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12494 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12496 @item nntp-via-user-password
12497 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12498 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12500 @item nntp-via-envuser
12501 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12502 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12503 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12504 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12506 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12507 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12508 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12509 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12516 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12521 @item nntp-via-user-name
12522 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12523 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12525 @item nntp-via-address
12526 @vindex nntp-via-address
12527 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12532 @node Common Variables
12533 @subsubsection Common Variables
12535 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12536 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12541 @item nntp-pre-command
12542 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12543 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12544 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12545 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12546 wrapper for instance.
12549 @vindex nntp-address
12550 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12552 @item nntp-port-number
12553 @vindex nntp-port-number
12554 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12555 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12556 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12557 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12559 @item nntp-end-of-line
12560 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12561 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12562 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12563 using a non native connection function.
12565 @item nntp-telnet-command
12566 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12567 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12568 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12569 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12571 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12572 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12573 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12580 @subsection News Spool
12584 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12585 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12586 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12589 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12590 anything else) as the address.
12592 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12593 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12594 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12595 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12599 @item nnspool-inews-program
12600 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12601 Program used to post an article.
12603 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12604 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12605 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12607 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12608 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12609 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12610 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12612 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12613 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12614 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12615 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12617 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12618 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12619 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12621 @item nnspool-active-file
12622 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12623 The name of the active file.
12625 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12626 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12627 The name of the group descriptions file.
12629 @item nnspool-history-file
12630 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12631 The name of the news history file.
12633 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12634 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12635 The name of the active date file.
12637 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12638 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12639 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12642 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12643 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12645 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12646 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12647 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12653 @section Getting Mail
12654 @cindex reading mail
12657 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12661 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12662 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12663 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12664 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12665 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12666 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12667 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12668 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12669 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12670 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12671 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12672 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12673 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12677 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12678 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12680 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12681 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12682 of a culture shock.
12684 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12685 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12687 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12688 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12689 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12690 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12692 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12694 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12695 deleted? How awful!
12697 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12698 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12699 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12700 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12703 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12704 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12705 they want to treat a message.
12707 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12708 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12709 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12710 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12711 archived somewhere else.
12713 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12714 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12715 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12716 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12717 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12719 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12720 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12721 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12723 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12724 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12727 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12728 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12729 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12730 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12731 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12733 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12734 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12735 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12736 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12737 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12738 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12742 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12743 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12745 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12746 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12747 and things will happen automatically.
12749 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
12750 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12753 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12756 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12757 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12758 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12759 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12760 like any other group.
12762 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12765 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12766 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12767 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12771 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12772 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12773 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12776 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12777 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12778 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12781 @node Splitting Mail
12782 @subsection Splitting Mail
12783 @cindex splitting mail
12784 @cindex mail splitting
12786 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12787 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12788 to be split into groups.
12791 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12792 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12793 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12794 ("mail.other" "")))
12797 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12798 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12799 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12800 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12801 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12802 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12803 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12806 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12809 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12810 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12811 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12812 mail belongs in that group.
12814 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12815 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{*} so that it matches any mails
12816 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12817 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12818 rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
12819 In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
12821 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12822 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12823 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12824 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12825 thinks should carry this mail message.
12827 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12828 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12829 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12830 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12832 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12833 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12834 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12835 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12836 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
12838 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12841 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12842 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12843 links. If that's the case for you, set
12844 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12845 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12847 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12848 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12849 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12850 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12851 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12852 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12855 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12856 Header lines longer than the value of
12857 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12860 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12861 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12862 By default the splitting codes @sc{mime} decodes headers so you can match
12863 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12864 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12865 can be turned off completely by binding
12866 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12867 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12869 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12870 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12871 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12872 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12873 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12874 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12875 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12878 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12879 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12880 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12881 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12882 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12883 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12884 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12885 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12886 month's rent money.
12890 @subsection Mail Sources
12892 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12893 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12897 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12898 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12899 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12903 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12904 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12906 @cindex mail server
12909 @cindex mail source
12911 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12912 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12917 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12920 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12921 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12922 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12925 The following mail source types are available:
12929 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12935 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12936 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12937 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12941 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12944 An example file mail source:
12947 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12950 Or using the default file name:
12956 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12957 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12958 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12961 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12965 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12968 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12972 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12975 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12977 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12980 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12984 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12985 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12986 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12987 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12988 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12989 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12990 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12991 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12992 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12993 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12995 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12996 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12997 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12998 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
13004 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
13008 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
13012 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
13013 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
13014 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
13015 predicate are considered.
13019 Script run before/after fetching mail.
13023 An example directory mail source:
13026 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
13031 Get mail from a POP server.
13037 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
13038 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13041 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
13042 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13043 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13044 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13045 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13048 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
13052 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
13056 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
13057 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13060 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13063 The valid format specifier characters are:
13067 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13068 included in this string.
13071 The name of the server.
13074 The port number of the server.
13077 The user name to use.
13080 The password to use.
13083 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13084 corresponding keywords.
13087 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13088 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13091 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13092 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13095 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
13096 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
13099 @item :authentication
13100 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13101 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13106 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13107 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13109 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
13110 default user name, and default fetcher:
13116 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13119 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13120 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13123 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13126 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13130 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13131 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13132 contains exactly one mail.
13138 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13139 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13142 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13143 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13145 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13146 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13147 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13150 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13151 from locking problems).
13155 Two example maildir mail sources:
13158 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13159 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13163 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13168 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13169 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13170 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13171 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13174 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
13175 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13181 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13182 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13185 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13186 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
13189 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13193 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13197 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13198 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13199 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
13200 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13202 @item :authentication
13203 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13204 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13205 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13206 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13209 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13210 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
13211 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13217 The valid format specifier characters are:
13221 The name of the server.
13224 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
13227 The port number of the server.
13230 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13231 corresponding keywords.
13234 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13235 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13238 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13239 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13240 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13241 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13242 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13243 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13246 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13247 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13248 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13249 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13252 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13253 after finishing the fetch.
13257 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13260 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13262 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13266 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13267 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13268 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13270 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13271 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13273 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13279 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13280 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13283 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13287 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13291 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13292 folder after finishing the fetch.
13296 An example webmail source:
13299 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13301 :password "secret")
13306 @item Common Keywords
13307 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13313 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13314 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13318 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13323 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13324 useful when you use local mail and news.
13329 @subsubsection Function Interface
13331 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13332 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13333 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13334 consider the following mail-source setting:
13337 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13338 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13341 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13342 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13343 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13344 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13345 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13347 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13350 @node Mail Source Customization
13351 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13353 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13354 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13358 @item mail-source-crash-box
13359 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13360 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13361 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13363 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13364 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13365 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
13366 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
13367 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
13368 (This will only happen, when reveiving new mail). You may also set
13369 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
13370 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
13372 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13373 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
13374 If @code{non-nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
13375 files. This variable only applies when
13376 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
13378 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13379 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13380 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13382 @item mail-source-directory
13383 @vindex mail-source-directory
13384 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13385 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13386 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13389 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13390 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13391 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13392 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13393 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13394 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13396 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13397 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13398 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13400 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13401 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13402 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13403 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13408 @node Fetching Mail
13409 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13411 @vindex mail-sources
13412 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13413 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13414 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13415 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13417 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13418 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13421 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13422 mail server, you'd say something like:
13427 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13428 :password "secret")))
13431 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13435 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13436 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13439 :password "secret")))
13443 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13444 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13445 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13446 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13447 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13448 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13452 @node Mail Back End Variables
13453 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13455 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13459 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13460 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13461 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13462 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13464 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13465 @item nnmail-split-hook
13466 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13467 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13468 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13469 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13470 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13471 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13472 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13473 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13474 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13477 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13478 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13479 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13480 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13481 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13482 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13483 starting to handle the new mail) and
13484 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13485 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13486 default file modes the new mail files get:
13489 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13490 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13492 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13493 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13496 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13497 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13498 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13499 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13500 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13501 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13502 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13504 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13505 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13506 @findex delete-file
13507 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13509 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13510 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13511 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13512 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13513 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13515 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13516 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13517 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13518 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13519 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13521 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13522 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13523 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13528 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13529 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13530 @cindex mail splitting
13531 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13533 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13534 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13535 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13536 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13537 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13538 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13540 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13543 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13544 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13545 ;; from real errors.
13546 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13548 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13549 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13550 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13551 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13552 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13553 ;; Other mailing lists...
13554 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13555 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13556 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13557 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13558 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13559 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13560 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13561 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13563 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13564 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13568 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13569 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13570 the five possible split syntaxes:
13575 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13576 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13580 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13581 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13582 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13583 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13584 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13585 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13586 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13587 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13590 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13591 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13592 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13593 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13596 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13597 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13600 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13601 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13604 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13605 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13606 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13607 function should return a @var{split}.
13610 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13611 body of the messages:
13614 (defun split-on-body ()
13616 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13617 (goto-char (point-min))
13618 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13622 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13623 when the @code{:} function is run.
13626 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
13627 first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
13628 @var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
13629 as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
13632 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13636 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13637 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13638 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13639 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13640 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13642 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13643 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13644 are expanded as specified by the variable
13645 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13646 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13649 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13650 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13651 when all this splitting is performed.
13653 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13654 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13655 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13658 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13661 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13662 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13664 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13665 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13666 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13667 groupings 1 through 9.
13669 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13670 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13671 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13672 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13673 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13674 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13675 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13676 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13677 it once per thread.
13679 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13680 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13681 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13684 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13685 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13687 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13688 ;; other splits go here
13692 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13693 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13694 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13695 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13696 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13697 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13698 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13699 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13700 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13701 unless the group name matches the regexp
13702 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13703 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13704 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13705 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13706 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13707 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13708 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13709 messages goes into the new group.
13711 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13712 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13713 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13714 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13715 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13719 @node Group Mail Splitting
13720 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13721 @cindex mail splitting
13722 @cindex group mail splitting
13724 @findex gnus-group-split
13725 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13726 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13727 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13728 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13729 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13730 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13731 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13732 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13734 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13735 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13736 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13737 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13739 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13740 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13741 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13742 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13743 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13744 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13745 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13747 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13748 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13749 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13750 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13751 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13752 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13753 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13755 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13756 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13757 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13758 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13759 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13760 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13761 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13762 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13763 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13764 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13765 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13766 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13767 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13769 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13774 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13775 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13777 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13778 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13779 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13780 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13782 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13785 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13786 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13787 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13790 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13791 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13792 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13796 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13797 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13798 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13802 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13805 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13806 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13807 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13808 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13809 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13810 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13811 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13812 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13813 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13815 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13816 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13817 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13818 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13819 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13820 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13821 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13822 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13823 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13825 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13826 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13827 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13828 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13829 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13830 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13833 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13836 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13837 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13838 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13839 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13840 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13843 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13844 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13845 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13846 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13848 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13849 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13850 @cindex incorporating old mail
13851 @cindex import old mail
13853 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13854 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13855 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13858 Doing so can be quite easy.
13860 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13861 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13862 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13863 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13864 your @code{nnml} groups.
13870 Go to the group buffer.
13873 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13874 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13877 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
13880 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13881 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13884 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13885 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13888 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13889 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13890 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13891 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13892 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13894 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13895 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13896 using the new mail back end.
13899 @node Expiring Mail
13900 @subsection Expiring Mail
13901 @cindex article expiry
13903 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13904 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13905 different approach to mail reading.
13907 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13908 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13909 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13910 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13911 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13912 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13915 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13916 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13917 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13918 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13919 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13920 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13921 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13922 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13923 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13925 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13926 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13927 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13928 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13929 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13930 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13931 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13934 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13935 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13936 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13937 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13938 into its own group.)
13940 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13941 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13942 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13943 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13944 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13945 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13946 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13947 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13950 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13951 Groups that match the regular expression
13952 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13953 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13954 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13956 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13957 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13958 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13959 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13960 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13962 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13964 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13965 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13966 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13969 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13970 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13971 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13972 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13973 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13975 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13976 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13979 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13980 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13983 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13984 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13986 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13987 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13988 don't really mix very well.
13990 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13991 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13992 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13993 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13996 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13997 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13998 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13999 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
14002 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14004 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
14006 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
14008 ((string= group "mail.junk")
14010 ((string= group "important")
14016 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
14017 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
14019 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
14020 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
14021 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
14024 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
14025 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
14027 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
14028 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
14029 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
14030 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
14031 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
14032 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
14033 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
14034 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
14035 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
14036 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
14037 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
14038 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
14039 name or @code{delete}.
14041 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
14043 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14046 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14047 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14048 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14049 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14050 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14053 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14054 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14055 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14056 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14057 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14060 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14061 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14062 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14063 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14064 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14065 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14067 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14068 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14069 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14070 easier for procmail users.
14072 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14073 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14074 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14075 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14076 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14077 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14078 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14079 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14080 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14081 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14082 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14083 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14084 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14087 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14089 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14090 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14091 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14092 auto-expire turned on.
14096 @subsection Washing Mail
14097 @cindex mail washing
14098 @cindex list server brain damage
14099 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14101 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14102 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14103 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14104 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14105 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14106 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14108 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14109 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14110 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14113 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14114 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14115 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14116 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14119 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14120 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14121 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14122 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14123 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14126 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14127 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14128 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14129 Emacs running on MS machines.
14133 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14134 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14135 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14136 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14139 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14140 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14141 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14142 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14144 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14145 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14146 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14147 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14148 into a feature by documenting it.)
14150 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14151 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14152 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14153 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14154 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14155 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14156 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14159 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14160 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14163 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14164 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14167 This can also be done non-destructively with
14168 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14170 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14171 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14172 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14174 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14175 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14177 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14178 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14179 @code{References} headers.
14183 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14184 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14185 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14189 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14190 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14191 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14198 @subsection Duplicates
14200 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14201 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14202 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14203 @cindex duplicate mails
14204 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14205 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14206 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14207 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14208 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14209 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14210 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14211 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14212 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14213 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14214 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14215 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14216 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14218 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14219 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14220 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14221 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14223 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14226 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14227 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14231 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14232 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14233 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14234 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14235 (any mail "mail.misc")
14242 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14243 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14248 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14249 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14250 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14251 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14252 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14255 @node Not Reading Mail
14256 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14258 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14259 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14260 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14262 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14263 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14264 mail, which should help.
14266 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14267 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14268 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14269 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14270 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14271 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14272 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14273 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14274 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14275 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14276 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14278 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14279 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14283 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14284 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14286 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14287 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14288 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14290 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14291 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14292 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14296 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14297 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14298 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14299 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14300 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
14301 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14302 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14306 @node Unix Mail Box
14307 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14309 @cindex unix mail box
14311 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14312 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14313 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14314 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14315 which group it belongs in.
14317 Virtual server settings:
14320 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14321 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14322 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14325 @item nnmbox-active-file
14326 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14327 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14328 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14330 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14331 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14332 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14333 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14338 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14342 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14343 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14344 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14345 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14346 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14348 Virtual server settings:
14351 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14352 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14353 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14355 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14356 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14357 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14358 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14360 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14361 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14362 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14368 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14370 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14372 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14373 format. It should be used with some caution.
14375 @vindex nnml-directory
14376 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14377 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14378 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14379 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14381 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14384 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14385 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14386 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14387 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14388 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14389 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14390 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14391 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14393 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14394 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14395 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14396 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14398 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14400 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14401 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14402 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14403 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14404 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14405 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14406 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14407 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14410 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14411 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14412 them next time it starts.
14414 Virtual server settings:
14417 @item nnml-directory
14418 @vindex nnml-directory
14419 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
14420 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
14423 @item nnml-active-file
14424 @vindex nnml-active-file
14425 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14426 @file{~/Mail/active}.
14428 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14429 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14430 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14431 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
14433 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14434 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14435 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14438 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14439 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14440 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14441 default is @code{nil}.
14443 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14444 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14445 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14447 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14448 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14449 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14451 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14452 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14453 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14454 default is @code{nil}.
14456 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14457 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14458 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14460 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14461 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14462 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14467 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14468 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14469 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14470 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14471 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14472 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14473 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14478 @subsubsection MH Spool
14480 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14482 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14483 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14484 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14485 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14487 Virtual server settings:
14490 @item nnmh-directory
14491 @vindex nnmh-directory
14492 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14493 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14496 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14497 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14498 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14502 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14503 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14504 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14505 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14506 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14507 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14508 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14513 @subsubsection Maildir
14517 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
14518 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
14519 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
14520 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
14521 stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
14524 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
14525 reading, without needing locks. With other backends, you would have
14526 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
14527 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
14528 can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
14529 to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
14532 nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
14533 corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
14534 data in the filesystem.
14536 nnmaildir stores article marks and NOV data in each maildir. So you
14537 can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
14540 Virtual server settings:
14544 For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
14545 more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
14546 symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a directory
14547 already used for other purposes). You could also put maildirs
14548 themselves (instead of symlinks to them) directly in the server
14549 directory, but that would break @code{nnmaildir-request-delete-group},
14550 so you wouldn't be able to delete those groups from within Gnus. (You
14551 could still delete them from your shell with @code{rm -r foo}.) Each
14552 maildir will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
14553 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
14554 in the directory starting with `.' are ignored. The directory is
14555 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
14556 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
14557 nnmaildir notices at these times.
14559 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
14560 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
14561 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
14562 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
14563 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
14564 don't worry - a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
14565 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using @file{~/Mail}
14566 or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus use that
14567 directory by default for various things, and may get confused if
14568 nnmaildir uses it too. @file{~/.nnmaildir} is a typical value.
14570 @item create-directory
14571 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
14572 @code{expand-file-name} to get the name of the directory where new
14573 maildirs are created. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the server
14574 is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is closed.
14575 This parameter is optional, but if you do not supply it, you cannot
14576 create new groups from within Gnus. (You could still create them from
14577 your shell with @code{mkdir -m 0700 foo foo/tmp foo/new foo/cur}.) A
14578 relative path is interpreted as relative to the @code{directory} path.
14579 @code{create-directory} and @code{directory} must be different;
14580 otherwise, group creation and deletion will break. (If you don't need
14581 those features, you can omit @code{create-directory} entirely.)
14583 @item directory-files
14584 This should be a function with the same interface as
14585 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
14586 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
14587 parameter is optional; the default is
14588 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
14589 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
14590 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
14591 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
14592 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
14593 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
14596 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
14597 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
14598 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
14599 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
14600 value is @code{nil}.
14602 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
14603 an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
14604 would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
14605 in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
14606 supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
14609 @subsubsection Group parameters
14611 nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
14612 this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
14613 behavior for other mail backends: articles are deleted after one week,
14614 etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
14615 unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
14616 duplicate the behavior you already have with another backend.
14618 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
14619 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
14620 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
14621 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
14622 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
14623 backends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
14624 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
14625 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
14626 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
14630 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
14631 it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
14632 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
14633 nnmaildir falls back to the usual
14634 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overridable by
14635 the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
14636 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
14637 60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
14638 article's age is measured starting from the article file's
14639 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
14640 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
14641 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
14644 If this is set to a string (a full Gnus group name, like
14645 @code{"backend+server.address.string:group.name"}), and if it is not
14646 the name of the same group that the parameter belongs to, then
14647 articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry before
14648 being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
14649 article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
14650 source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the destination
14654 If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
14655 maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
14656 @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
14657 not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
14658 edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
14659 directory of another maildir - e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
14660 a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
14661 @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
14662 mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
14663 permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
14664 extra copies of the articles.
14666 @item directory-files
14667 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
14668 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
14669 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
14670 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
14673 A list of mark symbols, such as
14674 @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
14675 article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
14676 marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
14677 say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
14678 removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14679 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14682 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
14683 Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
14684 articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
14685 the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
14686 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
14687 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
14688 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
14690 @item nov-cache-size
14691 An integer specifying the size of the NOV memory cache. To speed
14692 things up, nnmaildir keeps NOV data in memory for a limited number of
14693 articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
14694 probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
14695 only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened - i.e.,
14696 when you first start Gnus, typically. The NOV cache is never resized
14697 until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
14698 of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
14699 buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
14700 not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
14703 @subsubsection Article identification
14704 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
14705 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
14706 contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
14707 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
14708 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
14709 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
14710 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
14711 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
14712 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
14713 request the article in the summary buffer.
14715 @subsubsection NOV data
14716 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its NOV data (used to
14717 generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
14718 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
14719 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
14720 need for it - an article's NOV data is updated automatically when the
14721 article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
14722 nnmaildir to regenerate the NOV data for a single article simply by
14723 deleting the corresponding NOV file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
14724 cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
14725 may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
14727 @subsubsection Article marks
14728 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
14729 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
14730 When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
14731 files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
14732 to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
14733 corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
14734 file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
14735 @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
14737 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
14738 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
14739 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
14740 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
14741 this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
14742 best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
14743 in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
14744 group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
14745 changes, and might undo them.
14749 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14751 @cindex mbox folders
14752 @cindex mail folders
14754 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14755 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14756 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14759 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14761 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14762 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14763 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14764 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14765 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14766 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14767 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14768 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14769 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14770 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14772 Virtual server settings:
14775 @item nnfolder-directory
14776 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14777 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14778 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14781 @item nnfolder-active-file
14782 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14783 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14785 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14786 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14787 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14788 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
14790 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14791 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14792 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14795 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14796 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14797 @cindex backup files
14798 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14799 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14800 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14801 your @file{.emacs} file:
14804 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14805 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14807 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14810 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14811 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14812 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14813 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14814 extract some information from it before removing it.
14816 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14817 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14818 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14819 default is @code{nil}.
14821 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14822 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14823 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14825 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14826 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14827 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14828 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14830 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14831 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14832 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14833 default is @code{nil}.
14835 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14836 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14837 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14839 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14840 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14841 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14842 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14847 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14848 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14849 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14850 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14851 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14852 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14855 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14856 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14858 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14859 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14860 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14861 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14862 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14864 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14865 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14866 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14867 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14868 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14869 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14870 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14871 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14874 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14875 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14876 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14877 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14882 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14883 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14884 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14885 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14886 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14887 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14888 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14889 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14890 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14891 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14892 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14893 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14894 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14899 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14900 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14901 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14902 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14903 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14904 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14905 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14906 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14907 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14908 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14909 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14910 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14911 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14912 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14914 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14915 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14920 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14921 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14922 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14923 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14924 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14925 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14926 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14927 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14928 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14929 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14930 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14931 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14932 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14933 provided by the active file and overviews.
14935 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14936 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14937 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14938 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14939 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14942 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14943 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14948 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14949 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14950 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14951 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14952 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14953 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14954 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14958 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14959 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14960 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14961 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14962 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14963 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14964 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14965 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14966 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14968 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14969 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14970 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14971 friendly mail back end all over.
14975 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14976 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14977 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14978 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14979 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14980 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14981 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14982 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14985 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14986 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14987 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14988 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14989 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14990 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14991 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14992 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14993 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14994 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
14995 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
14997 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14998 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14999 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
15000 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
15001 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
15004 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
15005 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
15007 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
15008 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
15009 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
15010 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
15011 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
15012 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
15013 removed in the future.
15015 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
15016 back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster, depending in
15017 part on your file system.
15019 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
15020 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
15025 @node Browsing the Web
15026 @section Browsing the Web
15028 @cindex browsing the web
15032 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
15033 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
15034 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
15035 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
15036 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
15037 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
15038 even know what a news group is.
15040 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
15041 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
15042 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
15043 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
15044 you mad in the end.
15046 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
15049 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
15050 interfaces to these sources.
15054 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
15055 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
15056 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
15057 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
15058 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
15059 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
15062 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
15064 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
15065 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
15066 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
15067 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
15068 though, you should be ok.
15070 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
15071 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
15072 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
15073 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
15074 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
15076 @node Archiving Mail
15077 @subsection Archiving Mail
15078 @cindex archiving mail
15079 @cindex backup of mail
15081 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
15082 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
15083 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
15084 marks is fairly simple.
15086 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
15087 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
15090 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
15091 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
15092 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
15093 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
15094 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
15095 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
15096 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
15097 before you restore the data.
15099 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
15100 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
15101 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
15102 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
15103 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
15104 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
15105 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
15106 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
15107 is unnecessary in that case.
15110 @subsection Web Searches
15115 @cindex Usenet searches
15116 @cindex searching the Usenet
15118 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
15119 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
15120 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
15121 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
15122 searches without having to use a browser.
15124 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
15125 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
15126 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
15127 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
15128 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
15130 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
15131 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
15132 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
15133 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
15134 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
15135 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
15136 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
15137 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
15138 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
15139 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
15142 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
15143 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
15144 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
15145 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
15146 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
15147 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
15149 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
15150 to use @code{nnweb}.
15152 Virtual server variables:
15157 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
15158 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
15159 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
15162 @vindex nnweb-search
15163 The search string to feed to the search engine.
15165 @item nnweb-max-hits
15166 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
15167 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
15170 @item nnweb-type-definition
15171 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
15172 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
15173 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
15178 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
15182 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
15185 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
15188 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
15192 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
15199 @subsection Slashdot
15203 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
15204 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
15205 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
15207 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
15208 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
15211 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15212 '((nnslashdot "")))
15215 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
15216 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
15217 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
15218 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
15219 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
15222 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
15223 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15225 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
15226 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
15227 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
15228 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
15229 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
15230 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
15233 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
15236 @item nnslashdot-threaded
15237 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
15238 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
15239 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
15240 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
15241 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
15242 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
15244 @item nnslashdot-login-name
15245 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
15246 The login name to use when posting.
15248 @item nnslashdot-password
15249 @vindex nnslashdot-password
15250 The password to use when posting.
15252 @item nnslashdot-directory
15253 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
15254 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
15255 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
15257 @item nnslashdot-active-url
15258 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
15259 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
15260 news articles and comments. The default is
15261 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
15263 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
15264 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
15265 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
15267 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
15269 @item nnslashdot-article-url
15270 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15271 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15273 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15275 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15276 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15277 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15279 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15280 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15281 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15282 updated. The default is 0.
15289 @subsection Ultimate
15291 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15293 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
15294 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15295 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15296 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15298 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15299 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15300 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15301 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15302 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15303 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15304 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15306 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15309 @item nnultimate-directory
15310 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15311 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
15312 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
15317 @subsection Web Archive
15319 @cindex Web Archive
15321 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15322 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15323 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15324 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15327 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15328 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15329 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15330 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
15331 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
15332 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15333 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15334 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15336 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15339 @item nnwarchive-directory
15340 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15341 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
15342 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
15344 @item nnwarchive-login
15345 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15346 The account name on the web server.
15348 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15349 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15350 The password for your account on the web server.
15358 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15359 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15360 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15363 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15364 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15367 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15370 @item nnrss-directory
15371 @vindex nnrss-directory
15372 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15373 @file{~/News/rss/}.
15377 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15378 the summary buffer.
15381 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15382 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15384 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15386 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15387 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15390 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15393 (require 'browse-url)
15395 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15397 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15400 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15401 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15404 (browse-url (cdr url))
15405 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15406 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15408 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15409 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15410 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15411 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15414 @node Customizing w3
15415 @subsection Customizing w3
15421 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15422 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15423 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15425 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15426 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15427 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15430 (eval-after-load "w3"
15432 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15433 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15434 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15435 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15437 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15440 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15441 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15450 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
15451 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15452 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15453 specify the network address of the server.
15455 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15456 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15457 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15458 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15459 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15461 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15462 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15463 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15464 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15466 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15467 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15468 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15469 usage explained in this section.
15471 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15472 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
15473 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15476 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15477 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15478 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15480 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15481 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15482 ; a UW server running on localhost
15484 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15485 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15486 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15487 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15488 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15489 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15490 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15491 (nnimap-stream network))
15492 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15494 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15495 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15496 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15499 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15500 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15501 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15502 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15504 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15509 @item nnimap-address
15510 @vindex nnimap-address
15512 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15513 server name if not specified.
15515 @item nnimap-server-port
15516 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15517 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15519 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15522 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15523 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15526 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15527 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15528 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15529 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15530 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15531 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15532 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15534 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15535 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15536 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15539 Example server specification:
15542 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15543 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15544 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15547 @item nnimap-stream
15548 @vindex nnimap-stream
15549 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15550 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15551 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15552 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15554 Example server specification:
15557 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15558 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15561 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15565 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15566 @samp{imtest} program.
15568 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15570 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15571 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15574 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15575 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
15577 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15579 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15582 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15583 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15584 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15585 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15586 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15587 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15588 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15589 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15590 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15593 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15594 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15595 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15596 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15597 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15598 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15599 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15602 @vindex imap-shell-program
15603 @vindex imap-shell-host
15604 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15605 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15607 @item nnimap-authenticator
15608 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15610 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15611 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15613 Example server specification:
15616 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15617 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15620 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15624 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15625 external program @code{imtest}.
15627 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15630 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15631 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15633 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15635 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15637 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15640 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15642 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15643 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15644 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15645 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15646 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15647 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15650 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15651 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15652 running in circles yet?
15654 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15655 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15658 The possible options are:
15663 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
15666 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15667 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15668 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15669 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15671 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15676 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15677 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15679 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15680 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15681 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15682 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15683 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15686 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15687 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15690 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15691 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15692 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15693 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15696 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15697 as ticked for other users.
15699 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15701 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15703 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15704 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15705 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15706 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15708 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15709 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15710 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15711 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15713 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15714 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15716 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15717 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15718 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15724 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15725 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15726 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15727 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
15728 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15733 @node Splitting in IMAP
15734 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15735 @cindex splitting imap mail
15737 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15738 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15739 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15740 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15741 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15745 Here are the variables of interest:
15749 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15750 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15752 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15754 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15755 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15757 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15759 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15760 @cindex splitting, inbox
15762 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15764 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15765 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15769 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15770 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15773 No nnmail equivalent.
15775 @item nnimap-split-rule
15776 @cindex Splitting, rules
15777 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15779 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15782 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15783 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15784 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15785 Neither did I, we need examples.
15788 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15790 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15791 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15792 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15795 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15796 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15797 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15799 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15800 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15804 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15807 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15808 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15810 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15811 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15812 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15813 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15815 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15816 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15817 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15818 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15819 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15820 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15822 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15823 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
15824 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
15826 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15827 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15828 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15830 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15832 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15833 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15834 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15837 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15838 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15839 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15840 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15841 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15842 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15845 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15846 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15847 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15848 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15849 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15850 group/function elements.
15852 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15854 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15856 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15858 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15859 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15861 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15862 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15863 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15866 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15867 @cindex splitting, fancy
15868 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15869 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15871 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15872 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15873 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15875 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15876 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15877 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15878 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15883 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15884 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15887 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15889 @item nnimap-split-download-body
15890 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
15891 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
15893 Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
15894 generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
15895 may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
15896 analyses the body to split the article.
15900 @node Expiring in IMAP
15901 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15902 @cindex expiring imap mail
15904 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
15905 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
15906 Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
15907 not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
15908 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
15909 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
15912 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15913 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15914 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15915 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15916 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15917 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15918 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15919 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15923 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15924 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15926 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15927 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
15929 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15931 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15932 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15933 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15934 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15938 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15939 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15940 @cindex editing imap acls
15941 @cindex Access Control Lists
15942 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15944 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15946 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15947 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15948 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15951 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15952 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15953 editing window with detailed instructions.
15955 Some possible uses:
15959 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15960 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15961 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15963 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15964 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
15965 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15969 @node Expunging mailboxes
15970 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15974 @cindex Manual expunging
15976 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15978 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15979 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15980 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15982 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15985 @node A note on namespaces
15986 @subsection A note on namespaces
15987 @cindex IMAP namespace
15990 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15991 following text in the RFC:
15994 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15996 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15997 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15998 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15999 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
16001 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
16002 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
16003 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
16004 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
16005 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
16006 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
16009 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
16010 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
16011 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
16013 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
16014 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
16015 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
16016 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
16017 the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
16018 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
16019 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
16020 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
16022 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
16023 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
16024 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
16026 @node Other Sources
16027 @section Other Sources
16029 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
16030 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
16034 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
16035 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
16036 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
16037 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
16038 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
16042 @node Directory Groups
16043 @subsection Directory Groups
16045 @cindex directory groups
16047 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
16048 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
16051 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
16052 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
16053 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
16054 back end to read directories. Big deal.
16056 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
16057 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
16058 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
16059 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
16060 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
16062 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
16064 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
16065 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
16066 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
16067 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
16070 @node Anything Groups
16071 @subsection Anything Groups
16074 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
16075 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
16076 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
16079 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
16080 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
16081 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
16082 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
16083 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
16084 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
16085 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
16086 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
16087 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
16088 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
16091 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
16092 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
16093 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
16094 in the article buffer, just as usual.
16096 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
16097 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
16098 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
16099 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
16101 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
16102 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
16103 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
16104 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
16105 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
16106 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
16107 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
16108 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
16113 @item nneething-map-file-directory
16114 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
16115 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
16116 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
16118 @item nneething-exclude-files
16119 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
16120 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
16121 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
16123 @item nneething-include-files
16124 @vindex nneething-include-files
16125 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
16126 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
16128 @item nneething-map-file
16129 @vindex nneething-map-file
16130 Name of the map files.
16134 @node Document Groups
16135 @subsection Document Groups
16137 @cindex documentation group
16140 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
16141 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
16148 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
16153 The standard Unix mbox file.
16155 @cindex MMDF mail box
16157 The MMDF mail box format.
16160 Several news articles appended into a file.
16163 @cindex rnews batch files
16164 The rnews batch transport format.
16165 @cindex forwarded messages
16168 Forwarded articles.
16171 Netscape mail boxes.
16174 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
16176 @item standard-digest
16177 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
16180 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
16182 @item lanl-gov-announce
16183 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
16185 @item rfc822-forward
16186 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
16189 The Outlook mail box.
16192 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
16195 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
16198 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
16201 An RFC934-forwarded message.
16207 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
16210 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
16216 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
16217 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
16218 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
16221 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
16222 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
16223 group. And that's it.
16225 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
16226 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
16227 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
16228 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
16229 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
16230 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
16231 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
16232 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
16233 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
16234 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
16236 Virtual server variables:
16239 @item nndoc-article-type
16240 @vindex nndoc-article-type
16241 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
16242 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
16243 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
16244 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
16245 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
16247 @item nndoc-post-type
16248 @vindex nndoc-post-type
16249 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
16250 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
16255 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
16259 @node Document Server Internals
16260 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
16262 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
16263 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
16264 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
16265 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
16267 First, here's an example document type definition:
16271 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16272 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16275 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16276 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16277 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16278 types can be defined with very few settings:
16281 @item first-article
16282 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16283 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16286 @item article-begin
16287 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16288 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16290 @item head-begin-function
16291 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16294 @item nndoc-head-begin
16295 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16298 @item nndoc-head-end
16299 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16300 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16302 @item body-begin-function
16303 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16307 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16310 @item body-end-function
16311 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16315 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16318 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16319 regexp will be totally ignored.
16323 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16324 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16325 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16326 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16327 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16330 @item prepare-body-function
16331 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16332 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16333 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16335 @item article-transform-function
16336 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16337 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16338 body of the article.
16340 @item generate-head-function
16341 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16342 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16343 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16344 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16348 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16353 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16354 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16355 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16356 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16357 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16358 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16359 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16360 (subtype digest guess))
16363 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16364 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16365 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16366 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16367 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16369 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16370 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
16371 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
16372 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
16373 The alist is traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is
16374 called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is
16375 called to see whether a document is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on.
16376 These type predicates should return @code{nil} if the document is not
16377 of the correct type; @code{t} if it is of the correct type; and a
16378 number if the document might be of the correct type. A high number
16379 means high probability; a low number means low probability with
16380 @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16388 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16389 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16390 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16392 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16393 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16394 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16397 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16398 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16399 that interested in doing things properly.
16401 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16402 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16405 First some terminology:
16410 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16411 get news and/or mail from.
16414 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16415 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16418 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16422 @item message packets
16423 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16424 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16425 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16427 @item response packets
16428 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16429 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16430 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16440 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16441 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16442 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16443 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16446 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16449 You put the packet in your home directory.
16452 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16453 the native or secondary server.
16456 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16457 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16460 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16464 You transfer this packet to the server.
16467 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16470 You then repeat until you die.
16474 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16475 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16478 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16479 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16480 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16484 @node SOUP Commands
16485 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16487 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16491 @kindex G s b (Group)
16492 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16493 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16494 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16495 process/prefix convention.
16498 @kindex G s w (Group)
16499 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16500 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16503 @kindex G s s (Group)
16504 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16505 Send all replies from the replies packet
16506 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16509 @kindex G s p (Group)
16510 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16511 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16514 @kindex G s r (Group)
16515 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16516 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16519 @kindex O s (Summary)
16520 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16521 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16522 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16523 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16528 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16533 @item gnus-soup-directory
16534 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16535 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16536 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16538 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16539 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16540 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16541 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16543 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16544 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16545 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16546 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16548 @item gnus-soup-packer
16549 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16550 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16551 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16553 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16554 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16555 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16556 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16558 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16559 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16560 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16562 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16563 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16564 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16565 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16571 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16574 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16575 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16576 you can read them at leisure.
16578 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16582 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16583 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16584 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16585 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16587 @item nnsoup-directory
16588 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16589 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16590 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16592 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16593 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16594 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16595 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
16597 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16598 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16599 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16600 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16601 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16603 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16604 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16605 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16606 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16608 @item nnsoup-active-file
16609 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16610 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16611 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16612 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16613 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16615 @item nnsoup-packer
16616 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16617 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16618 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16620 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16621 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16622 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16623 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16625 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16626 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16627 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16630 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16631 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16632 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16635 @item nnsoup-always-save
16636 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16637 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16643 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16645 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16646 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16647 more for that to happen.
16649 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16650 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16651 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16654 In specific, this is what it does:
16657 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16658 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16661 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16662 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16663 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16666 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16667 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16668 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16671 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16672 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16673 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16675 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16681 @item nngateway-address
16682 @vindex nngateway-address
16683 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16685 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16686 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16687 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16688 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16689 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16690 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16691 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16694 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16695 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16696 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16699 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16702 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16705 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16708 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16710 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16713 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16714 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16715 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16717 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16719 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16720 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16721 @code{nngateway-address}.
16726 (setq gnus-post-method
16728 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16729 (nngateway-header-transformation
16730 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16738 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16741 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16746 @node Combined Groups
16747 @section Combined Groups
16749 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16753 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16754 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16758 @node Virtual Groups
16759 @subsection Virtual Groups
16761 @cindex virtual groups
16762 @cindex merging groups
16764 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16767 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16768 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16769 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16771 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16772 regexp to match component groups.
16774 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16775 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16776 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16777 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16778 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16779 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16780 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16781 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16783 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16784 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16787 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16790 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16791 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16793 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16794 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16795 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16796 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16799 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16802 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16803 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16804 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16806 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16807 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16808 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16809 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16810 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16812 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16813 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16814 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16816 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16817 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16818 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16819 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16820 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16821 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16822 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16823 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16824 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16825 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16826 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16828 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16829 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16830 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16831 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16832 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16833 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16834 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16836 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16837 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16839 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16840 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16844 @node Kibozed Groups
16845 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16849 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16850 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16851 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16852 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16854 @kindex G k (Group)
16855 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16858 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16859 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16860 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16861 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16863 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16864 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16865 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16867 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16868 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16869 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16870 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16871 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16872 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16873 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16874 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16876 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16877 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16878 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16879 Stranger things have happened.
16881 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16882 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16884 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16885 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16886 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16887 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16888 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16889 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16891 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16892 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16895 @node Gnus Unplugged
16896 @section Gnus Unplugged
16901 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16903 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16904 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16905 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16906 read news. Believe it or not.
16908 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16909 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16910 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16911 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16912 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16914 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16915 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16916 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16917 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16918 reading news on a machine.
16920 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16921 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16923 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16926 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16927 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16928 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16929 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16930 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16931 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
16932 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16933 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16934 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16935 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16936 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16937 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16942 @subsection Agent Basics
16944 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16946 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16947 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16948 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16949 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16951 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16952 connected to the net continuously.
16954 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16955 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16957 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16962 @findex gnus-unplugged
16963 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16964 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16965 already fetched while in this mode.
16968 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16969 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16970 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16971 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16972 Source Specifiers}).
16975 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16976 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16977 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16978 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16979 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16982 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16983 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16984 then you read the news offline.
16987 And then you go to step 2.
16990 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16996 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16997 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16998 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16999 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
17000 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
17001 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
17002 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
17003 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
17006 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
17009 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
17013 @node Agent Categories
17014 @subsection Agent Categories
17016 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
17017 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
17018 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
17019 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
17020 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
17021 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
17022 you're interested in the articles anyway.
17024 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
17025 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
17026 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
17027 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
17028 managing categories.
17031 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
17032 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
17033 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
17037 @node Category Syntax
17038 @subsubsection Category Syntax
17040 A category consists of two things.
17044 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
17045 are eligible for downloading; and
17048 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
17049 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
17050 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
17053 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
17054 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
17055 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
17056 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
17058 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
17059 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
17060 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
17062 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
17063 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
17064 operators sprinkled in between.
17066 Perhaps some examples are in order.
17068 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
17069 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
17075 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
17076 short (for some value of ``short'').
17078 Here's a more complex predicate:
17087 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
17088 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
17091 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
17092 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
17093 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
17095 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
17096 you want to do, you can write your own.
17100 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
17101 lines; default 100.
17104 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
17105 lines; default 200.
17108 True iff the article has a download score less than
17109 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
17112 True iff the article has a download score greater than
17113 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
17116 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
17117 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
17118 checksum and sees whether articles match.
17127 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
17128 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
17129 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
17132 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
17133 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
17134 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
17135 something along the lines of the following:
17138 (defun my-article-old-p ()
17139 "Say whether an article is old."
17140 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
17141 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
17144 with the predicate then defined as:
17147 (not my-article-old-p)
17150 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
17151 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
17155 (require 'gnus-agent)
17156 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
17157 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
17158 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
17161 and simply specify your predicate as:
17167 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
17168 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
17169 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
17170 just don't give a damn.
17172 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
17173 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
17174 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
17175 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
17176 parameters like so:
17179 (agent-predicate . short)
17182 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
17183 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
17184 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
17186 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
17189 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
17192 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
17193 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
17194 predicate is assumed to be a list.
17197 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
17198 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
17199 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
17200 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
17201 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
17202 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
17204 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
17205 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
17206 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
17207 if it's to be specific to that group.
17209 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
17216 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
17217 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
17223 Category specification
17227 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17233 Group Parameter specification
17236 (agent-score ("from"
17237 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
17242 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
17248 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
17249 keywords stated above.
17255 Category specification
17258 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
17264 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
17268 Group Parameter specification
17271 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17274 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17279 Use @code{normal} score files
17281 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17282 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17283 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17284 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17286 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17287 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17288 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
17289 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17293 Category Specification
17300 Group Parameter specification
17303 (agent-score . file)
17308 @node Category Buffer
17309 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17311 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17312 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17313 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17315 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17319 @kindex q (Category)
17320 @findex gnus-category-exit
17321 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17324 @kindex k (Category)
17325 @findex gnus-category-kill
17326 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17329 @kindex c (Category)
17330 @findex gnus-category-copy
17331 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17334 @kindex a (Category)
17335 @findex gnus-category-add
17336 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17339 @kindex p (Category)
17340 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17341 Edit the predicate of the current category
17342 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17345 @kindex g (Category)
17346 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17347 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17348 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17351 @kindex s (Category)
17352 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17353 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17354 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17357 @kindex l (Category)
17358 @findex gnus-category-list
17359 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17363 @node Category Variables
17364 @subsubsection Category Variables
17367 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17368 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17369 Hook run in category buffers.
17371 @item gnus-category-line-format
17372 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17373 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17374 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17378 The name of the category.
17381 The number of groups in the category.
17384 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17385 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17386 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17388 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17389 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17390 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17392 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17393 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17394 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17396 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17397 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17398 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17401 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17402 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17403 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17409 @node Agent Commands
17410 @subsection Agent Commands
17411 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17412 @kindex J j (Agent)
17414 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17415 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17416 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17420 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17421 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17422 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17428 @node Group Agent Commands
17429 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17433 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17434 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17435 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17436 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17439 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17440 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17441 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17444 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17445 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17446 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17447 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17450 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17451 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17452 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17453 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17456 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17457 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17458 Add the current group to an Agent category
17459 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17460 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17463 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17464 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17465 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17466 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17467 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17470 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17471 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17472 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17478 @node Summary Agent Commands
17479 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17483 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17484 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17485 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17488 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17489 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17490 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17491 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17495 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17496 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17497 Toggle whether to download the article
17498 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
17502 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17503 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17504 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17507 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17508 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17509 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17510 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17513 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17514 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17515 Download all processable articles in this group.
17516 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17519 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17520 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17521 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17522 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17527 @node Server Agent Commands
17528 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17532 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17533 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17534 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17535 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17538 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17539 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17540 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17541 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17546 @node Agent as Cache
17547 @subsection Agent as Cache
17549 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17550 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17551 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17552 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17553 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17554 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17555 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17556 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17557 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17559 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17560 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17563 @subsection Agent Expiry
17565 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17566 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17567 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17568 @cindex Agent expiry
17569 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17572 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17573 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17574 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17575 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17576 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17577 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17579 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
17580 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
17581 synchronized with the group.
17583 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17584 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17585 expiry in different groups.
17588 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17594 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17595 method---it must always match all groups. Also, for a regexp to match,
17596 it must match from the beginning of the group's name.
17598 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17599 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17600 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17601 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17602 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17604 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17605 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17606 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17608 @node Agent Regeneration
17609 @subsection Agent Regeneration
17611 @cindex Agent Regeneration
17612 @cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
17613 @cindex regeneration
17615 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
17616 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
17617 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
17618 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
17619 internal inconsistencies.
17621 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
17622 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
17623 know about articles downloaded prior to the connection failure.
17624 Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
17625 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
17626 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
17628 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17629 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
17630 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
17631 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
17632 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
17633 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
17635 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17636 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17637 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
17638 of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
17639 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
17640 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
17643 @node Agent and IMAP
17644 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17646 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17647 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17648 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17649 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17651 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17652 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
17653 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17654 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17656 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17657 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17658 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17659 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17661 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17662 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17663 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17664 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17665 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17666 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17668 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17669 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17670 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17671 in the group buffer.
17673 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17674 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17679 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17682 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17686 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
17687 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17688 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17689 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17690 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17691 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
17692 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17693 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17696 @node Outgoing Messages
17697 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17699 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17700 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17701 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17703 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17704 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17705 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17706 messages in the draft group.
17710 @node Agent Variables
17711 @subsection Agent Variables
17714 @item gnus-agent-directory
17715 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17716 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17717 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17719 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17720 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17721 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17722 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17723 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17726 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17727 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17728 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17730 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17731 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17732 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17734 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17735 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17736 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17738 @item gnus-agent-cache
17739 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17740 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17741 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17742 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17744 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17745 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17746 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17747 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17748 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17749 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17750 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17753 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17754 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17755 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
17756 mark articles as unread after downloading. The default is t.
17758 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17759 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17760 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
17761 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
17762 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
17764 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17765 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17766 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
17767 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
17768 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
17769 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
17770 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
17771 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
17772 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
17773 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
17774 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
17775 available while unplugged).
17777 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17778 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17779 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17780 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17781 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17782 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17783 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17784 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17785 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17790 @node Example Setup
17791 @subsection Example Setup
17793 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17794 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17795 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17798 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17799 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17800 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17802 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17803 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17804 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17806 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17807 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17809 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17810 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17811 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17814 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17815 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17818 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17819 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17820 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17821 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17822 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17825 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17826 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17827 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17828 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17829 back all the killed groups.)
17831 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17832 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17833 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17836 @node Batching Agents
17837 @subsection Batching Agents
17838 @findex gnus-agent-batch
17840 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17841 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17842 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17844 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
17845 following incantation:
17849 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
17853 @node Agent Caveats
17854 @subsection Agent Caveats
17856 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17857 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17861 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17863 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
17864 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
17865 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
17867 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17869 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
17873 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17874 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
17875 locally stored articles.
17882 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17883 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17884 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17887 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17888 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17889 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17890 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17891 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17893 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17894 before generating the summary buffer.
17896 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17897 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17898 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17900 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17901 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17902 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17903 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17906 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17907 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17908 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17909 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17910 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17911 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17912 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17913 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17914 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17915 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17916 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17917 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17918 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17919 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17920 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17921 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17922 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17926 @node Summary Score Commands
17927 @section Summary Score Commands
17928 @cindex score commands
17930 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17931 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17932 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17933 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17934 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17936 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17937 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17938 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17939 score file the current one.
17941 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17946 @kindex V s (Summary)
17947 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17948 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17951 @kindex V S (Summary)
17952 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17953 Display the score of the current article
17954 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17957 @kindex V t (Summary)
17958 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17959 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17960 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17963 @kindex V w (Summary)
17964 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17965 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17968 @kindex V R (Summary)
17969 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17970 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17971 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17972 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17973 effect you're having.
17976 @kindex V c (Summary)
17977 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17978 Make a different score file the current
17979 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17982 @kindex V e (Summary)
17983 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17984 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17985 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17989 @kindex V f (Summary)
17990 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17991 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17992 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17995 @kindex V F (Summary)
17996 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17997 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17998 after editing score files.
18001 @kindex V C (Summary)
18002 @findex gnus-score-customize
18003 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
18004 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
18008 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
18013 @kindex V m (Summary)
18014 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
18015 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
18016 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
18019 @kindex V x (Summary)
18020 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
18021 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
18022 expunge all articles below this score
18023 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
18026 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
18027 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
18030 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
18031 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
18035 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
18036 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
18038 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
18039 keys are available:
18043 Score on the author name.
18046 Score on the subject line.
18049 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
18052 Score on the @code{References} line.
18058 Score on the number of lines.
18061 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
18064 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
18065 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
18068 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
18069 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
18070 @file{ADAPT} files.)
18079 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
18085 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
18086 what headers you are scoring on.
18098 Substring matching.
18101 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
18130 Greater than number.
18135 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
18136 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
18137 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
18142 Temporary score entry.
18145 Permanent score entry.
18148 Immediately scoring.
18152 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
18153 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
18154 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
18158 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
18159 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
18160 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
18161 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
18163 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
18164 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
18165 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
18166 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
18167 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
18169 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
18170 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
18171 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
18172 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
18173 current score file.
18175 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
18176 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
18177 pretend they are keymaps or not.
18180 @node Group Score Commands
18181 @section Group Score Commands
18182 @cindex group score commands
18184 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
18189 @kindex W f (Group)
18190 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
18191 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
18192 all the time. This command will flush the cache
18193 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
18197 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
18199 @findex gnus-batch-score
18200 @cindex batch scoring
18202 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
18206 @node Score Variables
18207 @section Score Variables
18208 @cindex score variables
18212 @item gnus-use-scoring
18213 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
18214 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
18215 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
18217 @item gnus-kill-killed
18218 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
18219 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
18220 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
18221 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
18222 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
18223 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
18224 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
18226 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
18227 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
18228 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
18229 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
18230 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
18232 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
18233 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
18234 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
18235 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
18237 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18238 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
18239 @cindex score cache
18240 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
18241 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
18242 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
18243 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
18244 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
18245 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
18246 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
18249 @item gnus-save-score
18250 @vindex gnus-save-score
18251 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
18252 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
18253 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18255 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
18256 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
18257 across group visits.
18259 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18260 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
18261 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
18262 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
18263 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
18264 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
18265 manually entered data.
18267 @item gnus-summary-default-score
18268 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
18269 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
18271 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18272 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18273 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18274 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18275 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18276 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18278 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18279 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18280 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18281 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18283 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18284 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18285 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18286 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18288 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18289 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18290 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18291 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18293 Predefined functions available are:
18296 @item gnus-score-find-single
18297 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18298 Only apply the group's own score file.
18300 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18301 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18302 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18303 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18304 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18305 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18306 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18307 then a regexp match is done.
18309 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18310 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18312 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18313 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18314 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18315 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18317 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18318 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18319 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18320 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18321 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18325 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18326 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18327 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18328 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18329 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18330 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18331 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18334 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18335 overall score file, you could use the value
18337 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18338 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18341 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18342 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18343 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18344 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18345 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18347 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18348 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18349 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18350 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18351 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18352 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18353 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18354 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18356 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18357 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18358 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18360 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18361 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18362 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
18363 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18364 threading---according to the current value of
18365 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
18366 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18367 simplified in this manner.
18372 @node Score File Format
18373 @section Score File Format
18374 @cindex score file format
18376 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18377 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18378 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18380 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18384 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18386 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18388 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18390 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18395 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18399 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18400 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18401 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18402 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18406 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18407 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18409 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
18410 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18411 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18413 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18418 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18419 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18420 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18421 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18422 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18423 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18424 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18425 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18426 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18427 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18428 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18429 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18430 to articles that matches these score entries.
18432 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18433 score entry has one to four elements.
18437 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18438 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18442 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18443 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18444 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18445 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18446 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18447 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18450 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18451 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18452 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18453 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18454 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18457 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18458 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18459 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18460 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18463 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18464 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18465 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18466 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18467 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18468 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18469 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18470 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18471 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18472 instead, if you feel like.
18475 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18476 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18477 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18478 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18479 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18480 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18483 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18487 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18488 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18490 These predicates are true if
18493 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18496 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18497 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18504 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18505 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18506 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18507 it's not. I think.)
18509 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18510 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18511 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18512 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18515 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18516 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18517 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18518 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18519 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18520 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18521 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18525 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18526 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18527 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18528 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18529 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18530 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18531 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18532 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18535 @item Head, Body, All
18536 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18540 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18541 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18542 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18543 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18544 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18545 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18546 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18550 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18551 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18552 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18553 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18554 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18555 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18556 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18557 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18558 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18559 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18560 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18564 @cindex Score File Atoms
18566 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18567 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18570 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18571 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18573 @item mark-and-expunge
18574 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18575 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18578 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18579 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18580 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18581 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18582 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18585 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18586 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18589 @item exclude-files
18590 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18591 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18595 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18596 ignored when handling global score files.
18599 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18600 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18601 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18602 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18605 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18606 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18607 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18608 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18610 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18614 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18617 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18618 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18619 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18620 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18621 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18623 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18624 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18625 scoring rules exist.
18628 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18629 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18630 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18631 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18632 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18633 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18634 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18635 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18636 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18637 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18638 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18642 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18643 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18644 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18645 file for a number of groups.
18648 @cindex local variables
18649 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
18650 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
18651 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
18652 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
18653 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
18658 @node Score File Editing
18659 @section Score File Editing
18661 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18662 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18663 with a mode for that.
18665 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18666 additional commands:
18671 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18672 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18673 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18674 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18677 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18678 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18679 Insert the current date in numerical format
18680 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18681 you were wondering.
18684 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18685 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18686 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18687 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18688 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18693 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18695 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18696 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18698 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18699 e} to begin editing score files.
18702 @node Adaptive Scoring
18703 @section Adaptive Scoring
18704 @cindex adaptive scoring
18706 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18707 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18708 stupidity, to be precise.
18710 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18711 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18712 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18713 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18714 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18715 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18716 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18717 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18718 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18720 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18721 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18722 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18723 might look something like this:
18726 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18727 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18728 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18729 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18730 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18731 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18732 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18733 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18734 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18735 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18736 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18737 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18740 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18741 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18742 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18743 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18744 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18745 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18748 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18749 will be applied to each article.
18751 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18752 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18753 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18754 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18756 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18757 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18758 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18759 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18761 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18762 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18763 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18764 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18766 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18767 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18768 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18769 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18770 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18771 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18773 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18774 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18775 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18777 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18778 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18779 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18781 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18782 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18783 let you use different rules in different groups.
18785 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18786 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18787 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18790 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18791 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18792 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18793 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18794 the length of the match is less than
18795 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18796 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18799 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18800 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18801 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18802 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18803 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18806 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18807 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18808 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18809 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18810 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18813 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18814 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18815 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18816 score with 30 points.
18818 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18819 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18820 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18821 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18822 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18824 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18825 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18826 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18827 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18828 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
18830 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18831 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18832 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18833 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18835 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18836 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18837 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18838 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18840 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18841 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18842 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18843 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18844 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18846 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18847 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18848 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18850 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18851 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18852 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18853 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18856 @node Home Score File
18857 @section Home Score File
18859 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18860 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18861 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18862 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18864 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18865 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18866 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18868 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18869 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18874 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18878 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18879 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18883 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18887 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18888 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18891 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18892 the home score file.
18895 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18898 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18903 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18906 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18907 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18910 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18911 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18913 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18915 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18916 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18919 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18920 Other functions include
18923 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18924 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18925 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18926 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18930 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18931 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18932 their own home score files:
18935 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18936 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18937 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18938 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18939 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18942 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18943 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18944 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18945 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18946 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18948 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18949 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18950 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18951 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18952 precedence over this variable.
18955 @node Followups To Yourself
18956 @section Followups To Yourself
18958 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18959 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18960 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18961 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18962 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18963 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18967 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18968 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18969 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18972 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18973 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18974 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18978 @vindex message-sent-hook
18979 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18980 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18982 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18986 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18987 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18991 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18992 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18995 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18996 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
19001 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
19005 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
19006 is system-dependent.
19009 @node Scoring On Other Headers
19010 @section Scoring On Other Headers
19011 @cindex scoring on other headers
19013 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
19014 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
19015 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
19016 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
19017 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
19019 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
19020 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
19021 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
19022 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
19023 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
19025 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
19028 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
19029 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
19032 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
19033 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
19034 time if you have much mail.
19036 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
19037 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
19043 @section Scoring Tips
19044 @cindex scoring tips
19050 @cindex scoring crossposts
19051 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
19052 the @code{Xref} header.
19054 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
19057 @item Multiple crossposts
19058 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
19059 more than, say, 3 groups:
19062 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
19066 @item Matching on the body
19067 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
19068 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
19069 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
19070 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
19071 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
19072 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
19073 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
19076 @item Marking as read
19077 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
19078 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
19079 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
19083 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
19085 @item Negated character classes
19086 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
19087 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
19088 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
19092 @node Reverse Scoring
19093 @section Reverse Scoring
19094 @cindex reverse scoring
19096 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
19097 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
19098 like this in your score file:
19102 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
19107 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
19108 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
19111 @node Global Score Files
19112 @section Global Score Files
19113 @cindex global score files
19115 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
19116 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
19117 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
19119 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
19120 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
19121 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
19123 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
19124 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
19125 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
19126 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
19127 files are applicable to which group.
19129 To use the score file
19130 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
19131 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
19135 (setq gnus-global-score-files
19136 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
19137 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
19140 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
19142 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
19143 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
19144 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
19145 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
19147 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
19148 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
19150 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
19151 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
19152 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
19153 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
19154 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
19155 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
19157 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
19163 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
19165 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
19167 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
19169 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
19170 lowered out of existence.
19172 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
19173 articles completely.
19176 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
19177 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
19178 old articles for a long time.
19181 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
19182 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
19183 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
19184 holding our breath yet?
19188 @section Kill Files
19191 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
19192 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
19193 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
19195 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
19196 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
19197 files into score files.
19199 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
19200 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
19201 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
19202 that isn't a very good idea.
19204 Normal kill files look like this:
19207 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19208 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
19212 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
19213 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
19215 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
19216 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
19219 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
19224 @kindex M-k (Summary)
19225 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
19226 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
19229 @kindex M-K (Summary)
19230 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
19231 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
19234 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
19239 @kindex M-k (Group)
19240 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
19241 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
19244 @kindex M-K (Group)
19245 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
19246 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
19249 Kill file variables:
19252 @item gnus-kill-file-name
19253 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
19254 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
19255 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
19256 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
19257 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
19258 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
19260 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19261 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
19262 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
19263 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
19266 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
19267 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
19268 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
19269 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
19270 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
19271 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
19272 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19273 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19274 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19276 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19277 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19278 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19283 @node Converting Kill Files
19284 @section Converting Kill Files
19286 @cindex converting kill files
19288 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19289 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19290 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19293 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19294 You can fetch it from
19295 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19297 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19298 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19299 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19307 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
19308 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19309 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19310 news articles generated every day.
19312 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19313 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19314 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19315 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19316 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19317 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19318 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19319 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19322 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19323 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19326 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19327 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19328 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19329 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19333 @node Using GroupLens
19334 @subsection Using GroupLens
19336 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
19338 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
19339 better bit in town at the moment.
19341 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19345 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19346 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19347 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19348 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19350 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19351 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19352 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19353 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19355 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19356 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19357 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19361 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19362 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19363 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19364 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19365 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19366 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19369 @node Rating Articles
19370 @subsection Rating Articles
19372 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19373 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19374 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19375 yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19378 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19383 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19384 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19385 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19388 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19389 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19390 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19391 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19392 threads in rec.humor.
19396 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19397 the score of the article you're reading.
19402 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19403 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19404 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19407 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19408 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19409 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19413 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19414 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19417 @node Displaying Predictions
19418 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19420 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19421 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19422 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19423 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19424 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19426 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19427 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19428 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19429 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19430 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19431 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19432 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19433 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19434 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19435 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19436 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19437 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19438 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19440 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19441 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19442 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19443 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19445 The following are valid values for that variable.
19448 @item prediction-spot
19449 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19452 @item confidence-interval
19453 A numeric confidence interval.
19455 @item prediction-bar
19456 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19458 @item confidence-bar
19459 Numerical confidence.
19461 @item confidence-spot
19462 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19464 @item prediction-num
19465 Plain-old numeric value.
19467 @item confidence-plus-minus
19468 Prediction +/- confidence.
19473 @node GroupLens Variables
19474 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19478 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19479 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19480 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19481 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19484 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19485 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19488 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19489 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19491 @item grouplens-score-offset
19492 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19493 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19496 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19497 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19498 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19503 @node Advanced Scoring
19504 @section Advanced Scoring
19506 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19507 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19508 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19509 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19510 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19512 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19516 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19517 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19518 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19522 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19523 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19525 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19526 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19527 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19528 non-@code{nil} value.
19530 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19531 operator, and various match operators.
19538 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19539 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19540 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19545 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19546 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19547 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19552 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19553 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19557 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19558 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19559 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19560 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19561 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19562 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19563 the ancestry you want to go.
19565 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19566 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19567 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19568 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19569 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19572 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19573 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19575 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19576 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19579 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19580 when he's talking about Gnus:
19584 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19585 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19591 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19595 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19602 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19603 really don't want to read what he's written:
19607 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19608 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19612 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19613 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19614 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19621 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19622 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19623 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19624 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19628 The possibilities are endless.
19631 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19632 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19634 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19635 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19636 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19637 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19638 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19639 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19640 @samp{subject}) first.
19642 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19643 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19654 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19655 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19661 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19668 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19669 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19674 @section Score Decays
19675 @cindex score decays
19678 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19679 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19680 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19681 use them in any sensible way.
19683 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19684 @findex gnus-decay-score
19685 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19686 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19687 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19688 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19689 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19690 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19691 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19692 definition of that function:
19695 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19697 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19698 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19701 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19703 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19705 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19708 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19709 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19710 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19711 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19715 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19718 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19721 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19725 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19726 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19727 the new score, which should be an integer.
19729 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19730 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19735 @include message.texi
19736 @chapter Emacs MIME
19737 @include emacs-mime.texi
19739 @include sieve.texi
19749 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19750 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19751 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19752 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19753 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19754 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19755 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19756 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19757 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19758 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19759 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19760 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19761 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19762 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19763 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19764 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19765 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19766 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19767 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19771 @node Process/Prefix
19772 @section Process/Prefix
19773 @cindex process/prefix convention
19775 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19776 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19778 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19779 command to be performed on.
19783 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19784 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19785 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19786 with the current one.
19788 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19789 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19790 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19792 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19793 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19796 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19797 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19799 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19802 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19803 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19804 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19805 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19807 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19808 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19809 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19810 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19811 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19812 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19813 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19814 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19816 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19817 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19818 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19819 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19820 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
19824 @section Interactive
19825 @cindex interaction
19829 @item gnus-novice-user
19830 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19831 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19832 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19833 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19834 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19837 @item gnus-expert-user
19838 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19839 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19840 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19841 matter how strange.
19843 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19844 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19845 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19846 is @code{t} by default.
19848 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19849 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19850 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19855 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19856 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19857 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19859 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19860 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19861 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19862 rule of 900 to the current article.
19864 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19865 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19866 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19867 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19868 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19869 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19870 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19872 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19873 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19874 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19875 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19876 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19877 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19878 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19879 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19880 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19882 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19883 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19884 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19886 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19890 @node Formatting Variables
19891 @section Formatting Variables
19892 @cindex formatting variables
19894 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19895 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19896 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19897 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19898 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19901 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19902 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19903 lots of percentages everywhere.
19906 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19907 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19908 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19909 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19910 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19911 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19912 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19913 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19916 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19917 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19918 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19919 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19920 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19921 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19922 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19923 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19925 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19926 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19928 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19929 @findex gnus-update-format
19930 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19931 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19932 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19933 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19937 @node Formatting Basics
19938 @subsection Formatting Basics
19940 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19941 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19942 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19944 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19945 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19946 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19947 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19948 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19951 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19952 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19953 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19954 less than 4 characters wide.
19956 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19957 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19960 @node Mode Line Formatting
19961 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19963 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19964 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19965 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19966 with the following two differences:
19971 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19974 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19975 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19976 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19977 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19978 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19979 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19980 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19985 @node Advanced Formatting
19986 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19988 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19989 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19990 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19991 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19993 These are the valid modifiers:
19998 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
20002 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
20007 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
20010 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
20015 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
20018 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
20021 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
20024 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
20030 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
20035 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
20036 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
20037 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
20038 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
20039 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
20040 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
20041 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
20043 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
20044 last operation, padding.
20046 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
20047 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
20048 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
20049 @xref{Compilation}.
20052 @node User-Defined Specs
20053 @subsection User-Defined Specs
20055 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
20056 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
20057 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
20058 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
20059 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
20060 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
20061 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
20062 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
20063 should protect against that.
20065 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
20066 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
20068 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
20069 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
20070 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
20071 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
20075 @node Formatting Fonts
20076 @subsection Formatting Fonts
20078 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
20079 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
20080 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
20081 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
20084 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
20085 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
20086 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
20087 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
20088 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
20089 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
20091 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
20092 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
20093 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
20094 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
20095 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
20096 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
20097 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
20098 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
20099 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
20100 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
20102 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
20105 ;; Create three face types.
20106 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
20107 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
20109 ;; We want the article count to be in
20110 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
20111 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
20112 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
20114 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
20115 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
20117 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
20118 (setq gnus-group-line-format
20119 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
20122 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
20123 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
20125 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
20126 mode-line variables.
20128 @node Positioning Point
20129 @subsection Positioning Point
20131 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
20132 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
20133 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
20135 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
20137 @findex gnus-goto-colon
20138 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
20139 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
20141 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
20142 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
20143 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
20148 @subsection Tabulation
20150 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
20151 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
20152 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
20153 about lining up the following text afterwards.
20155 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
20156 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
20158 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20159 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
20160 This is the soft tabulator.
20162 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
20163 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
20164 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
20167 @node Wide Characters
20168 @subsection Wide Characters
20170 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
20171 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
20172 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
20174 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
20175 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
20176 these countries, that's not true.
20178 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
20179 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
20180 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
20181 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
20185 @node Window Layout
20186 @section Window Layout
20187 @cindex window layout
20189 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
20191 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
20192 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
20193 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
20194 @code{t} by default.
20196 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
20197 glitches. Use at your own peril.
20199 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
20200 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
20201 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
20204 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
20205 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
20206 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20210 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
20211 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
20212 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
20213 possible names is listed below.
20215 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
20216 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
20219 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
20223 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
20224 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
20225 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
20226 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
20227 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
20228 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
20229 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
20230 size spec per split.
20232 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
20233 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
20234 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
20235 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
20236 present) gets focus.
20238 Here's a more complicated example:
20241 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
20242 (summary 0.25 point)
20243 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
20247 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
20248 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
20249 occupy, not a percentage.
20251 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
20252 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
20253 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
20254 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
20255 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
20258 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
20261 (article (horizontal 1.0
20266 (summary 0.25 point)
20271 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
20272 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20274 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20275 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20276 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20277 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20278 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20280 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20281 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20282 lines from the splits.
20284 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20288 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20289 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20290 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20291 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20292 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20293 size = number | frame-params
20294 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20297 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20298 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20299 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20300 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20302 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20303 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20304 @cindex window height
20305 @cindex window width
20306 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20307 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20308 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20309 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20310 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20311 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20313 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20314 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20315 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20316 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20318 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20319 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20320 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20321 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20322 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20323 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20324 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20325 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20326 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20327 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20328 configuration list.
20331 (gnus-configure-frame
20335 (article 0.3 point))
20343 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20344 @code{frame} split:
20347 (gnus-configure-frame
20350 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20352 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20353 (user-position . t)
20354 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20359 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20360 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20361 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20362 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20363 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20364 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20365 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20366 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20368 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20369 be found in its default value.
20371 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20372 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20373 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20377 (message (horizontal 1.0
20378 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20380 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20385 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20386 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20387 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20392 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20393 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20394 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20395 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20396 (name . "Message"))
20397 (message 1.0 point))))
20400 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20401 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20402 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20403 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20404 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20407 (gnus-add-configuration
20408 '(article (vertical 1.0
20410 (summary .25 point)
20414 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20415 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20416 Gnus has been loaded.
20418 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20419 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20420 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20421 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20422 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20424 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20425 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20426 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20429 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20433 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20434 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20449 (gnus-add-configuration
20452 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20454 (summary 0.16 point)
20457 (gnus-add-configuration
20460 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20461 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20467 @node Faces and Fonts
20468 @section Faces and Fonts
20473 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20474 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20475 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20480 @section Compilation
20481 @cindex compilation
20482 @cindex byte-compilation
20484 @findex gnus-compile
20486 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20487 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20488 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
20489 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20490 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20491 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20494 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20495 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20496 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20497 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
20498 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
20499 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
20500 them into the @file{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
20504 @section Mode Lines
20507 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20508 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20509 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20510 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20511 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20512 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20513 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20516 @cindex display-time
20518 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20519 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20520 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20521 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20522 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20523 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20524 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20525 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20528 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20530 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20531 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20533 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20534 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20535 (length display-time-string)))))
20538 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20539 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20540 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20541 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20542 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20545 @node Highlighting and Menus
20546 @section Highlighting and Menus
20548 @cindex highlighting
20551 @vindex gnus-visual
20552 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20553 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20554 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20557 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20558 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20561 @item group-highlight
20562 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20563 @item summary-highlight
20564 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20565 @item article-highlight
20566 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20568 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20570 Create menus in the group buffer.
20572 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20574 Create menus in the article buffer.
20576 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20578 Create menus in the server buffer.
20580 Create menus in the score buffers.
20582 Create menus in all buffers.
20585 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20586 buffers, you could say something like:
20589 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20592 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20595 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20598 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20599 in all Gnus buffers.
20601 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20604 @item gnus-mouse-face
20605 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20606 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20607 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20611 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20615 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20616 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20617 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20619 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20620 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20621 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20623 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20624 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20625 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20627 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20628 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20629 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20631 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20632 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20633 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20635 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20636 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20637 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20648 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20649 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20650 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20651 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20652 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20656 @vindex gnus-carpal
20657 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20658 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20659 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20664 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20665 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20666 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20668 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20669 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20670 Face used on buttons.
20672 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20673 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20674 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20676 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20677 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20678 Buttons in the group buffer.
20680 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20681 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20682 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20684 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20685 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20686 Buttons in the server buffer.
20688 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20689 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20690 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20693 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20694 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20695 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20703 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20704 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20705 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20706 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20707 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20709 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20710 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20711 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20713 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20714 been idle for thirty minutes:
20717 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20720 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20724 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20727 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20728 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20729 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20731 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20732 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20733 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20734 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20736 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20737 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20738 @var{idle} minutes.
20740 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20741 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20744 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20745 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20746 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20748 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20749 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20750 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20751 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20753 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20754 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20756 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20758 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20761 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20762 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20763 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20764 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20765 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20766 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20767 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20768 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20769 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20770 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20771 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
20773 @findex gnus-demon-init
20774 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20775 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20776 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20777 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20778 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20780 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20781 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20782 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20791 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20792 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20794 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20795 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20796 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20797 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20800 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20801 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20802 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20803 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20805 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20806 this will make spam disappear.
20808 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20811 @item gnus-use-nocem
20812 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20813 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20816 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20817 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20818 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20819 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20820 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20822 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20823 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20824 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20825 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20826 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20827 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20829 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20830 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20832 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20833 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20834 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20835 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20836 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20837 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20838 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20839 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20840 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20841 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20843 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20844 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20847 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20850 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20851 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20854 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20857 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20860 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20861 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20863 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20864 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20865 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20866 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20868 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20869 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20872 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20874 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20882 This might be dangerous, though.
20884 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20885 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20886 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20887 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20889 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20890 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20891 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20892 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20893 might then see old spam.
20895 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20896 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20897 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20898 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20899 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20902 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20903 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20904 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20905 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20909 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20910 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20911 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20912 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20919 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20920 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20921 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20923 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20924 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20925 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20926 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20927 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20928 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20929 @code{undo} function.
20931 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20932 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20933 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20934 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20935 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20936 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20937 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20938 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20939 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20940 never be totally undoable.
20942 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20943 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20945 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20946 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20947 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20948 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20952 @node Predicate Specifiers
20953 @section Predicate Specifiers
20954 @cindex predicate specifiers
20956 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20957 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20958 to type all that much.
20960 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20965 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20966 gnus-article-unread-p)
20969 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20970 functions all take one parameter.
20972 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20973 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20974 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20975 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20980 @section Moderation
20983 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20984 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20985 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20988 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20992 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20995 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20997 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
21002 You split your incoming mail by matching on
21003 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
21004 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
21007 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
21008 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
21011 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
21012 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
21016 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
21019 (setq gnus-moderated-list
21020 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
21024 @node Image Enhancements
21025 @section Image Enhancements
21027 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
21028 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
21031 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
21032 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
21033 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
21034 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
21047 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
21048 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
21049 over your shoulder as you read news.
21051 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
21060 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
21061 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
21062 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
21063 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
21064 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
21065 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
21066 @code{GIF} formats.
21069 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21070 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
21071 point your Web browser at
21072 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
21074 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
21075 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
21077 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
21078 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
21081 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
21085 @item gnus-picon-databases
21086 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
21087 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
21088 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
21089 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
21090 "/usr/local/faces")}.
21092 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
21093 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
21094 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21095 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
21097 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
21098 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
21099 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
21100 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
21102 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
21103 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
21104 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
21105 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
21106 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
21108 @item gnus-picon-file-types
21109 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
21110 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
21111 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
21116 @subsection Smileys
21121 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
21126 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
21127 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
21129 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
21130 @file{.gnus.el} file:
21133 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
21136 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
21137 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
21138 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
21139 text and maps that to file names.
21141 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
21142 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
21143 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
21144 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
21145 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
21148 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
21153 @item smiley-data-directory
21154 @vindex smiley-data-directory
21155 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
21157 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
21158 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
21159 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
21168 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
21169 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
21170 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
21174 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
21175 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
21176 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
21177 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
21185 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
21186 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
21187 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
21188 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
21190 The variable that controls this is the
21191 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
21192 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
21193 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
21194 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
21195 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
21197 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
21198 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
21199 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
21200 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
21203 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
21204 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
21205 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
21206 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
21207 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
21208 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
21209 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
21210 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
21212 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
21215 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
21216 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
21218 @findex gnus-random-x-face
21219 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
21220 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
21221 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
21222 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
21223 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
21224 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
21225 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
21226 header data as a string.
21228 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
21229 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
21230 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
21231 randomly generated data.
21233 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
21234 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
21235 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
21236 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
21237 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
21239 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
21240 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
21243 (setq message-required-news-headers
21244 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21245 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
21248 Using the last function would be something like this:
21251 (setq message-required-news-headers
21252 (nconc message-required-news-headers
21253 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
21254 (gnus-x-face-from-file
21255 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
21260 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
21263 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21264 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
21265 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
21266 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
21267 unusual directory structure.
21269 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21270 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
21271 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
21272 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21274 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21275 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21276 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21277 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21278 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21279 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21281 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21282 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21283 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21288 @subsubsection Toolbar
21292 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21293 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21294 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21295 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21296 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21298 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21299 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21300 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21302 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21303 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21304 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21306 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21307 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21308 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21319 @node Fuzzy Matching
21320 @section Fuzzy Matching
21321 @cindex fuzzy matching
21323 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21324 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21326 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21327 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21328 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21330 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21331 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21332 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21333 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21334 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21337 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21338 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21342 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21344 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21345 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21346 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21347 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21348 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21349 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21350 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21351 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21354 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21355 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21356 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21357 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21358 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21359 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21361 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21364 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21365 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21366 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21367 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21368 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21369 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21372 @node The problem of spam
21373 @subsection The problem of spam
21375 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21376 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21378 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21380 First, some background on spam.
21382 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21383 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21384 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21385 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21386 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21387 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21388 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21389 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21391 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21392 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21393 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21394 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21395 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21396 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21397 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21398 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21399 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21402 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21403 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21404 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21405 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21406 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21407 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21408 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21409 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21410 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21411 mail can be useful.
21413 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21414 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21415 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21416 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21417 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21418 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21419 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21420 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21421 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21423 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21424 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21425 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21426 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21427 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21428 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21429 because of the incident.
21431 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21432 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21433 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21434 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21435 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21436 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21437 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21438 to store the database of spam analyses.
21440 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21441 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21445 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21447 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21448 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21450 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21451 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21452 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21453 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21454 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21455 part of the mail address.)
21458 (setq message-default-news-headers
21459 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21462 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21463 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21468 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21469 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21470 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21476 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21477 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21478 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21479 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21481 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21482 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21483 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21484 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21485 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21486 your fancy split rule in this way:
21491 (to "larsi" "misc")
21495 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21496 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21497 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21498 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21499 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21501 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21502 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21503 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21504 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21505 cosmic balance somewhat.
21507 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21508 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21509 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21510 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21515 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21516 @cindex SpamAssassin
21517 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21520 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21521 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21522 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21523 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21524 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21525 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21526 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21528 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21529 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21530 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21531 Specifiers}) follows.
21535 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21538 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21541 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21542 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21543 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21546 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21550 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21553 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21554 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21558 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21559 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21560 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21561 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21564 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21566 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21568 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21569 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21571 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21573 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21574 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21578 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21579 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21580 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21583 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21584 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21586 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21587 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21588 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21592 @subsection Hashcash
21595 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21596 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21597 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21598 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21599 in smaller communities.
21601 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21602 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21603 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21604 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21605 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21606 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21607 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21608 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21609 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21610 one of them separately.
21613 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21614 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21615 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21616 header. For more details, and for the external application
21617 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21618 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21619 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21621 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21625 (require 'hashcash)
21626 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21629 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21630 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21631 development contrib directory.
21633 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21637 @item hashcash-default-payment
21638 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21639 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21640 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21641 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21643 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21644 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21645 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21646 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
21647 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
21648 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
21649 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
21650 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
21651 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21655 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21659 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21660 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21661 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21662 a useful contribution, however.
21664 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21665 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21666 @cindex spam filtering
21669 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21670 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21671 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21672 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21675 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21676 the following keyboard commands:
21686 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21687 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21689 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
21690 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21691 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21692 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21698 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21699 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21701 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
21707 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21708 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21711 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21712 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21713 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21714 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21715 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21716 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21717 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21718 will be detected later.
21720 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21721 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21722 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21723 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21724 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21725 by customizing the corresponding variable
21726 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21727 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21728 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21729 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21730 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21731 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21732 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21735 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21736 they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21737 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
21738 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
21739 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
21740 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21741 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21742 will study them as spam samples.
21744 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21745 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21746 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21747 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21748 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21749 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21750 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21751 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21753 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21754 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21755 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21756 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21759 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21760 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21761 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21764 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21765 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21766 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21767 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21768 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21769 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
21772 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21773 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21774 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
21775 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
21776 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
21777 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
21778 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
21779 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
21780 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
21781 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
21782 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
21784 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21785 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21787 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
21788 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
21789 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
21790 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
21791 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
21792 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
21793 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
21794 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
21795 the spam articles are only expired.
21797 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21798 must add the following to your fancy split list
21799 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21805 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21806 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21807 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21809 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21810 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21811 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21812 but you can customize it.
21814 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
21816 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
21817 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
21818 the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
21819 message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
21820 or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
21821 message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
21822 because it will slow IMAP down.
21824 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
21826 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
21827 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
21828 longer spam or ham.}
21830 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
21831 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
21834 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21835 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
21838 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21839 * BBDB Whitelists::
21841 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
21843 * ifile spam filtering::
21844 * spam-stat spam filtering::
21845 * Extending the spam elisp package::
21848 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21849 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21850 @cindex spam filtering
21851 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21852 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21855 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21857 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
21858 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
21859 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
21860 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
21865 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21867 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
21868 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
21869 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
21870 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
21871 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
21875 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
21877 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
21878 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
21879 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
21883 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
21885 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21886 customizing the group parameters or the
21887 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21888 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21889 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
21893 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
21895 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21896 customizing the group parameters or the
21897 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21898 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21899 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21900 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21901 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21905 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21906 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21907 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21908 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
21909 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21911 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21912 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
21913 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
21914 Emacs regular expression syntax.
21916 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
21917 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
21918 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
21919 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
21920 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21921 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21923 @node BBDB Whitelists
21924 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21925 @cindex spam filtering
21926 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21927 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21930 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
21932 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21933 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
21934 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
21935 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
21936 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
21937 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
21938 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
21942 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
21944 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
21945 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
21946 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
21947 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
21948 classified as spammers.
21952 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
21954 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21955 customizing the group parameters or the
21956 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21957 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders&