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308 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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325 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
335 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
337 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
345 @top The Gnus Newsreader
349 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
350 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
351 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
354 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
355 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
370 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
371 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
373 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
374 being accused of plagiarism:
376 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
377 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
378 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
379 can even read news with it!
381 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
382 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
383 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
384 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
385 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
388 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
389 This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.11.
391 @heading Other related manuals
393 @item Message manual: Composing messages
394 @item Emacs-MIME: Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
395 @item Sieve: Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
396 @item PGG: @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
397 @item SASL: @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
403 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
404 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
405 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
406 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
407 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
408 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
409 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
410 * Various:: General purpose settings.
411 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
412 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
413 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
414 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
415 * Key Index:: Key Index.
417 Other related manuals
419 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
420 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
421 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
422 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
423 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
426 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
430 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
431 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
432 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
433 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
434 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
435 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
438 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
439 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
440 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
444 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
445 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
446 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
450 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
451 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
452 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
453 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
454 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
455 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
456 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
457 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
458 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
459 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
460 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
461 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
462 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
463 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
464 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
465 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
466 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
467 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
471 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
472 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
473 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
477 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
478 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
479 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
480 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
481 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
485 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
486 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
487 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
488 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
489 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
493 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
494 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
495 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
496 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
497 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
498 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
499 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
500 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
501 * Threading:: How threads are made.
502 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
503 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
504 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
505 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
506 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
507 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
508 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
509 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
510 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
511 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
512 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
513 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
514 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
515 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
516 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
517 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
518 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
519 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
520 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
521 or reselecting the current group.
522 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
523 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
524 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
525 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
527 Summary Buffer Format
529 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
530 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
531 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
532 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
536 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
537 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
539 Reply, Followup and Post
541 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
542 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
543 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
544 * Canceling and Superseding::
548 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
549 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
550 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
551 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
552 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
553 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
557 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
558 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
560 Customizing Threading
562 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
563 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
564 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
565 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
569 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
570 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
571 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
572 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
573 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
574 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
578 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
579 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
580 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
584 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
585 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
586 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
587 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
588 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
589 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
590 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
591 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
592 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
593 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
594 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
596 Alternative Approaches
598 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
599 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
601 Various Summary Stuff
603 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
604 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
605 * Summary Generation Commands::
606 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
610 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
611 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
612 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
613 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
614 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
618 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
619 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
620 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
621 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
622 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
623 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
624 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
625 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
626 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
630 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
631 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
632 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
633 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
634 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
635 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
636 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
637 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
638 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
642 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
643 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
644 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
645 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
646 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
647 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
648 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
652 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
653 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
657 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
658 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
659 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
660 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
664 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
665 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
666 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
667 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
668 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
669 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
670 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
671 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
672 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
673 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
674 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
675 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
676 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
680 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
681 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
682 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
684 Choosing a Mail Back End
686 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
687 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
688 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
689 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
690 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
691 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
692 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
697 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
698 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
699 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
700 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
701 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
702 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
706 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
707 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
708 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
709 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
710 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
711 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
715 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
716 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
717 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
718 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
719 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
723 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
727 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
728 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
729 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
733 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
734 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
738 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
739 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
740 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
744 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
745 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
746 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
748 The Gnus Diary Library
750 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
751 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
752 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
753 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
757 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
758 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
759 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
760 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
761 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
762 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
763 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
764 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
765 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
766 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
767 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
768 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
769 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
770 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
774 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
775 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
776 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
780 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
781 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
782 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
786 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
787 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
788 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
789 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
790 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
791 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
792 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
793 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
794 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
795 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
796 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
797 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
798 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
799 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
800 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
801 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
805 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
806 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
807 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
811 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
812 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
813 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
814 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
815 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
816 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
817 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
818 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
819 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
820 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
821 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
822 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
823 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
824 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
825 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
826 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
827 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
828 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
829 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
830 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
831 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
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 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
848 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
849 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
851 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
852 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
856 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
857 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
858 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
859 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
863 * Spam Package Introduction::
864 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
865 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
866 * Spam and Ham Processors::
867 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
869 * Extending the Spam package::
870 * Spam Statistics Package::
872 Spam Statistics Package
874 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
875 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
876 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
880 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
881 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
882 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
883 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
884 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
885 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
886 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
887 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
888 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
892 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
893 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
894 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
895 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
896 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
897 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
898 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
899 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
900 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
904 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
905 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
906 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
907 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
908 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
909 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
910 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
914 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
915 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
916 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
917 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
921 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
922 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
923 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
924 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
925 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
926 * Group Info:: The group info format.
927 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
928 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
929 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
933 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
934 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
935 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
936 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
937 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
938 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
942 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
943 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
947 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
948 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
954 @chapter Starting Gnus
957 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
962 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
963 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
964 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
965 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
966 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
967 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
969 @findex gnus-other-frame
970 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
971 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
972 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
974 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
975 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
976 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
978 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
979 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
982 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
983 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
984 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
985 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
986 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
987 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
988 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
989 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
990 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
991 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
995 @node Finding the News
996 @section Finding the News
999 First of all, you should know that there is a special buffer called
1000 @code{*Server*} that lists all the servers Gnus knows about. You can
1001 press @kbd{^} from the Group buffer to see it. In the Server buffer,
1002 you can press @kbd{RET} on a defined server to see all the groups it
1003 serves (subscribed or not!). You can also add or delete servers, edit
1004 a foreign server's definition, agentize or de-agentize a server, and
1005 do many other neat things. @xref{Server Buffer}.
1006 @xref{Foreign Groups}. @xref{Agent Basics}.
1008 @vindex gnus-select-method
1010 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
1011 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
1012 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
1013 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1016 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1017 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1020 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1023 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1026 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1029 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1030 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1031 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1032 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1034 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1036 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1037 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1038 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1039 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1040 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1041 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1042 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1044 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1045 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1046 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1047 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1049 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1050 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1051 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1052 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1053 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1054 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1055 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1056 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1057 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1060 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1062 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1063 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1064 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1065 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1066 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1067 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1069 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1071 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1072 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1073 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1074 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1075 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1076 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1079 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1080 you would typically set this variable to
1083 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1086 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1087 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1088 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1089 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1092 @node The First Time
1093 @section The First Time
1094 @cindex first time usage
1096 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1097 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1099 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1100 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1101 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1102 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1105 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1106 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1107 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1109 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1110 help you with most common problems.
1112 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1113 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1117 @node The Server is Down
1118 @section The Server is Down
1119 @cindex server errors
1121 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1122 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1123 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1125 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1126 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1127 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1128 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1129 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1130 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1131 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1133 @findex gnus-no-server
1134 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1136 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1137 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1138 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1139 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1140 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1141 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1142 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1146 @section Slave Gnusae
1149 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1150 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1151 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1152 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1154 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1155 @file{.newsrc} file.
1157 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1158 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1159 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1160 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1161 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1162 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1163 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1166 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1167 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1168 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1169 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1170 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1171 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1172 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1173 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1175 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1176 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1178 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1179 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1180 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1181 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1182 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1189 @cindex subscription
1191 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1192 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1193 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1194 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1195 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1196 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1197 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1198 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1199 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1202 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1203 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1204 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1208 @node Checking New Groups
1209 @subsection Checking New Groups
1211 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1212 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1213 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1214 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1215 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1216 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1217 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1218 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1219 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1220 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1222 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1223 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1224 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1225 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1226 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1227 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1228 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1229 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1230 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1231 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1232 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1234 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1235 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1236 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1237 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1238 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1239 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1242 @node Subscription Methods
1243 @subsection Subscription Methods
1245 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1246 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1247 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1249 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1250 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1252 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1258 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1259 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1260 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1262 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1263 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1264 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1265 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1267 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1268 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1269 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1273 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1274 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1275 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1276 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1277 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1278 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1279 up. Or something like that.
1281 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1282 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1283 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1284 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1285 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1287 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1288 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1289 Kill all new groups.
1291 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1292 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1293 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1294 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1295 topic parameter that looks like
1301 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1304 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1309 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1310 A closely related variable is
1311 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1312 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1313 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1314 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1317 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1318 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1319 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1320 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1323 @node Filtering New Groups
1324 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1326 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1327 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1328 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1331 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1334 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1335 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1336 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1337 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1338 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1339 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1340 subscribing these groups.
1341 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1342 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1344 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1345 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1346 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1347 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1348 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1349 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1350 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1351 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1353 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1354 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1355 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1356 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1357 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1358 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1359 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1360 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1361 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1362 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1365 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1366 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1369 @node Changing Servers
1370 @section Changing Servers
1371 @cindex changing servers
1373 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1374 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1375 very flaky and you want to use another.
1377 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1378 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1382 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1383 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1384 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1385 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1388 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1389 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1390 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1391 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1393 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1394 @findex gnus-change-server
1395 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1396 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1397 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1398 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1399 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1401 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1402 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1403 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1404 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1405 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1407 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1408 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1409 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1410 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1411 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1412 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1414 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1415 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1416 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1417 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1419 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1420 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1421 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1422 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1423 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1424 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1425 cache for all groups).
1429 @section Startup Files
1430 @cindex startup files
1435 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1436 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1437 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1440 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1441 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1442 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1443 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1444 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1445 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1446 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1448 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1449 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1450 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1451 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1452 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1453 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1455 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1456 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1457 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1458 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1459 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1460 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1461 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1462 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1463 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1464 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1465 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1468 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1469 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1470 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1471 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1472 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1473 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1474 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1475 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1476 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1477 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1478 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1479 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1481 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1482 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1483 @vindex version-control
1484 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1485 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1486 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1487 If you want version control for this file, set
1488 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1489 @code{version-control} variable.
1491 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1492 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1493 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1494 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1495 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1496 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1497 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1498 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1499 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1500 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1503 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1504 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1506 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1507 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1510 @vindex gnus-init-file
1511 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1512 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1513 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1514 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1515 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1516 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1517 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1518 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1519 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1520 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1521 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1522 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1523 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1528 @cindex dribble file
1531 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1532 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1533 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1534 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1535 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1538 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1539 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1542 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1543 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1544 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1546 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1547 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1548 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1549 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1550 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1551 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1553 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1554 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1555 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1558 @node The Active File
1559 @section The Active File
1561 @cindex ignored groups
1563 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1564 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1565 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1567 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1568 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1569 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1570 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1571 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1572 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1573 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1576 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1577 @c if you set it to anything else.
1579 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1581 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1582 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1583 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1585 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1586 you actually subscribe to.
1588 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1589 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1590 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1591 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1593 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1594 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1595 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1596 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1597 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1598 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1600 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1601 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1602 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1605 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1606 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1607 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1608 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1609 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1610 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1612 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1613 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1615 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1616 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1618 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1619 secondary select methods.
1622 @node Startup Variables
1623 @section Startup Variables
1627 @item gnus-load-hook
1628 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1629 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1630 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1631 times you start Gnus.
1633 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1634 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1635 A hook called as the first thing when Gnus is started.
1637 @item gnus-startup-hook
1638 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1639 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1641 @item gnus-started-hook
1642 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1643 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1646 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1647 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1648 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1649 generating the group buffer.
1651 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1652 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1653 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1654 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1655 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1656 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1657 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1658 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1660 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1661 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1662 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1663 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1664 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1665 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1667 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1668 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1669 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1671 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1672 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1673 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1675 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1676 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1677 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1678 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1684 @chapter Group Buffer
1685 @cindex group buffer
1687 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1689 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1690 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1691 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1692 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1693 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1694 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1695 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1696 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1697 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1698 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1699 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1700 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1701 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1702 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1703 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1704 @c human rights at 9...
1707 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1708 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1709 long as Gnus is active.
1713 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1714 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1715 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1716 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1717 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1718 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1719 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1720 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1726 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1727 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1728 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1729 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1730 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1731 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1732 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1733 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1734 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1735 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1736 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1737 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1738 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1739 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1740 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1741 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1742 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1743 * Searching:: Mail search engines.
1744 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1748 @node Group Buffer Format
1749 @section Group Buffer Format
1752 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1753 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1754 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1757 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1758 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1761 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1762 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1763 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1764 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1767 @node Group Line Specification
1768 @subsection Group Line Specification
1769 @cindex group buffer format
1771 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1772 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1774 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1777 25: news.announce.newusers
1778 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1783 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1784 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1785 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1786 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1788 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1789 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1790 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1791 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1792 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1793 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1795 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1797 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1798 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1799 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1800 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1801 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1803 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1804 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1805 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1807 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1812 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1815 Whether the group is subscribed.
1818 Level of subscribedness.
1821 Number of unread articles.
1824 Number of dormant articles.
1827 Number of ticked articles.
1830 Number of read articles.
1833 Number of unseen articles.
1836 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1837 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1839 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1840 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1841 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1842 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1843 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1844 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1845 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1847 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1848 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1849 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1850 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1851 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1852 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1853 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1856 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1859 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1868 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1869 comment element in the group parameters.
1872 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1873 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1874 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1878 @samp{m} if moderated.
1881 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1887 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1893 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1897 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1900 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1901 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1902 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1903 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1904 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1907 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1909 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1913 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1916 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1920 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1921 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1922 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1923 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1926 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1927 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1928 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1929 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1930 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1931 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1936 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1937 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1938 group, or a bogus native group.
1941 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1942 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1943 @cindex group mode line
1945 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1946 The mode line can be changed by setting
1947 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1948 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1952 The native news server.
1954 The native select method.
1958 @node Group Highlighting
1959 @subsection Group Highlighting
1960 @cindex highlighting
1961 @cindex group highlighting
1963 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1964 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1965 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1966 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1967 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1969 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1973 (cond (window-system
1974 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1975 (defface my-group-face-1
1976 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1977 (defface my-group-face-2
1978 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1979 "Second group face")
1980 (defface my-group-face-3
1981 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1982 (defface my-group-face-4
1983 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1984 (defface my-group-face-5
1985 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1987 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1988 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1989 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1990 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1991 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1992 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1995 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1997 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
2004 The number of unread articles in the group.
2008 Whether the group is a mail group.
2010 The level of the group.
2012 The score of the group.
2014 The number of ticked articles in the group.
2016 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2017 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2019 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2020 topic being inserted.
2023 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2024 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2025 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2027 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2028 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2029 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2030 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2031 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2034 @node Group Maneuvering
2035 @section Group Maneuvering
2036 @cindex group movement
2038 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2039 expected, hopefully.
2045 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2046 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2047 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2053 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2054 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2055 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2059 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2060 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2064 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2065 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2069 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2070 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2071 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2075 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2076 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2077 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2080 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2086 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2087 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2088 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2093 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2094 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2095 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2099 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2100 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2101 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2104 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2105 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2106 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2107 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2110 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2111 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2112 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2113 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2116 @node Selecting a Group
2117 @section Selecting a Group
2118 @cindex group selection
2123 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2124 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2125 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2126 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2127 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2128 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2129 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2130 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2131 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2132 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2134 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2135 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2136 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2138 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2139 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2144 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2145 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2146 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2147 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2148 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2152 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2153 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2154 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2155 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2156 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2157 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2158 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2159 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2160 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2161 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2164 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2165 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2166 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2167 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2168 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2171 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2172 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2173 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2174 doing any processing of its contents
2175 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2176 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2177 manner will have no permanent effects.
2181 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2182 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2183 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2184 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2185 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2186 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2187 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2188 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2189 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2190 most recently will be fetched.
2192 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2193 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2194 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2197 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2198 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2199 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2200 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2201 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2202 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2203 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2204 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2205 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2206 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2207 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2208 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2209 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2210 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2211 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2212 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2213 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2215 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2216 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2217 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2218 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2219 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2220 Which article this is controlled by the
2221 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2227 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2230 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2233 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2235 @item unseen-or-unread
2236 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2237 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2241 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2245 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2246 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2248 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2249 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2250 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2251 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2255 @node Subscription Commands
2256 @section Subscription Commands
2257 @cindex subscription
2265 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2266 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2267 Toggle subscription to the current group
2268 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2275 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2276 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2277 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2283 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2284 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2285 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2291 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2292 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2295 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2296 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2297 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2298 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2299 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2305 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2306 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2310 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2311 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2314 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2315 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2316 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2317 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2318 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2319 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2320 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2321 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2322 @file{.newsrc} file.
2326 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2336 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2337 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2338 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2339 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2340 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2341 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2346 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2347 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2348 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2352 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2353 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2354 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2356 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2357 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2358 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2359 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2360 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2361 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2368 @section Group Levels
2372 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2373 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2374 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2375 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2376 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2378 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2384 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2385 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2386 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2387 prompted for a level.
2390 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2391 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2392 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2393 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2394 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2395 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2396 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2397 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2398 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2399 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2400 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2401 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2402 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2403 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2404 reasons of efficiency.
2406 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2407 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2409 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2410 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2411 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2412 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2413 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2414 groups are hidden, in a way.
2416 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2417 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2418 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2419 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2420 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2421 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2423 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2424 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2425 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2426 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2427 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2428 list of killed groups.)
2430 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2431 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2432 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2434 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2435 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2436 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2437 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2438 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2439 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2440 relevant valid ranges.
2442 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2443 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2444 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2445 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2446 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2447 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2450 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2451 one with the best level.
2453 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2454 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2455 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2458 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2459 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2460 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2461 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2464 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2465 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2466 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2467 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2469 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2470 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2471 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2472 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2473 to 5. The default is 6.
2477 @section Group Score
2482 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2483 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2484 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2487 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2488 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2489 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2490 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2491 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2492 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2493 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2494 least significant part.))
2496 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2497 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2498 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2499 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2500 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2501 action after each summary exit, you can add
2502 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2503 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2504 slow things down somewhat.
2507 @node Marking Groups
2508 @section Marking Groups
2509 @cindex marking groups
2511 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2512 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2513 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2514 bidding on those groups.
2516 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2517 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2518 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2526 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2527 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2533 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2534 Remove the mark from the current group
2535 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2539 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2540 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2544 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2545 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2549 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2550 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2554 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2555 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2556 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2559 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2561 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2562 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2563 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2564 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2565 the command to be executed.
2568 @node Foreign Groups
2569 @section Foreign Groups
2570 @cindex foreign groups
2572 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2573 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2574 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2575 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2578 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2579 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2580 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2586 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2587 @cindex making groups
2588 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2589 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2590 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2594 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2595 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2596 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2600 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2601 @cindex renaming groups
2602 Rename the current group to something else
2603 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2604 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2610 @findex gnus-group-customize
2611 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2615 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2616 @cindex renaming groups
2617 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2618 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2622 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2623 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2624 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2628 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2629 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2630 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2634 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2636 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2637 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2642 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2643 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2647 @cindex (ding) archive
2648 @cindex archive group
2649 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2650 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2651 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2652 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2653 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2654 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2655 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2659 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2661 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2662 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2663 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2664 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2668 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2670 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2671 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2672 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2676 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2677 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2679 Make a group based on some file or other
2680 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2681 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2682 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2683 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2684 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2685 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2686 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2687 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2688 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2692 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2693 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2694 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2695 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2699 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2703 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2704 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2705 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2706 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2707 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2708 @xref{Web Searches}.
2710 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2711 to a particular group by using a match string like
2712 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2716 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2717 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2718 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2722 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2723 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2724 This function will delete the current group
2725 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2726 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2727 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2728 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2729 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2733 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2734 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2735 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2739 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2740 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2741 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2744 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2747 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2748 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2749 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2750 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2751 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2752 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2756 The following commands create ephemeral groups. They can be called not
2757 only from the Group buffer, but in any Gnus buffer.
2760 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2761 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group
2762 @vindex gnus-gmane-group-download-format
2763 Read an ephemeral group on Gmane.org. The articles are downloaded via
2764 HTTP using the URL specified by @code{gnus-gmane-group-download-format}.
2765 Gnus will prompt you for a group name, the start article number and an
2768 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2769 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group-url
2770 This command is similar to @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-gmane-group}, but
2771 the group name and the article number and range are constructed from a
2772 given @acronym{URL}. Supported @acronym{URL} formats include e.g.
2773 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12300/focus=12399},
2774 @url{http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2775 @url{http://article.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/},
2776 @url{http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.foo.bar/12345/}, and
2777 @url{http://news.gmane.org/group/gmane.foo.bar/thread=12345}.
2779 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2780 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group
2781 Read an Emacs bug report in an ephemeral group. Gnus will prompt for a
2782 bug number. The default is the number at point. The @acronym{URL} is
2783 specified in @code{gnus-bug-group-download-format-alist}.
2785 @item gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2786 @findex gnus-read-ephemeral-debian-bug-group
2787 Read a Debian bug report in an ephemeral group. Analog to
2788 @code{gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group}.
2791 Some of these command are also useful for article buttons, @xref{Article
2799 '("#\\([0-9]+\\)\\>" 1
2800 (string-match "\\<emacs\\>" (or gnus-newsgroup-name ""))
2801 gnus-read-ephemeral-emacs-bug-group 1))
2805 @node Group Parameters
2806 @section Group Parameters
2807 @cindex group parameters
2809 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2811 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2812 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2813 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2814 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2815 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2816 Additionally, you can set group parameters via the
2817 @code{gnus-parameters} variable, see below.
2819 Here's an example group parameter list:
2822 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2826 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2827 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2828 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2829 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2831 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2832 is an alist of regexps and values.
2834 The following group parameters can be used:
2839 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2842 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2845 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2846 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2847 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2848 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2849 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2851 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2852 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2853 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2854 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2855 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2856 list address instead.
2858 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2862 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2865 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2868 It is totally ignored
2869 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2870 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2872 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2873 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2874 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2875 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2876 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2878 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2879 @cindex mail list groups
2880 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2881 entering summary buffer.
2883 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2888 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2889 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2890 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2891 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2892 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2893 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2894 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2895 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2898 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2899 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2902 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2903 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2907 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2908 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2909 of whether it has any unread articles.
2911 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2912 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2914 @item broken-reply-to
2915 @cindex broken-reply-to
2916 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2917 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2918 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2919 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2920 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2921 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2925 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2926 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2930 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2931 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2932 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2937 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2938 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2939 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2940 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2941 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2942 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2943 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2945 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2946 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2947 doesn't accept articles.
2951 @cindex expiring mail
2952 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2953 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2954 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2956 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2959 @cindex total-expire
2960 @cindex expiring mail
2961 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2962 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2963 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2964 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2967 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2971 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2972 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2973 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2974 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2975 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2976 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2977 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2980 @cindex expiry-target
2981 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2982 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2985 @cindex score file group parameter
2986 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2987 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2988 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2991 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2992 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2993 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2994 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2997 @cindex admin-address
2998 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2999 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
3000 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
3001 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
3005 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
3006 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
3010 Display all articles, both read and unread.
3013 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
3014 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
3017 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
3021 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
3023 Here are some examples:
3027 Display only unread articles.
3030 Display everything except expirable articles.
3032 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
3033 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
3037 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
3038 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
3039 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
3040 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
3041 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
3045 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
3046 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
3047 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
3051 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
3052 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
3053 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
3057 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
3058 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
3059 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
3061 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
3063 @item ignored-charsets
3064 @cindex ignored-charset
3065 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
3066 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
3067 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
3069 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
3072 @cindex posting-style
3073 You can store additional posting style information for this group
3074 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3075 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3076 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3077 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3079 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3080 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3081 like this in the group parameters:
3086 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3087 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3090 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3091 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3092 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3093 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3094 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3095 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3101 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3102 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3106 If it is set, and the setting of @code{mail-sources} includes a
3107 @code{group} mail source (@pxref{Mail Sources}), the value is a
3108 mail source for this group.
3112 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3113 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3114 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3115 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3116 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3120 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3121 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3122 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3123 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3125 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3126 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3127 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3128 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3131 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3132 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3136 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3137 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3138 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3139 like the following is generated:
3142 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3143 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3147 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3148 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3150 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3151 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3153 @item (agent parameters)
3154 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3155 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3156 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3157 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3158 minimize the configuration effort.
3160 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3161 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3162 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3163 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3164 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3165 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3166 @code{eval}ed there.
3168 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer
3169 if and only if @var{variable} has been bound as a variable. Otherwise,
3170 only evaluating the form will take place. So, you may want to bind the
3171 variable in advance using @code{defvar} or other if the result of the
3172 form needs to be set to it.
3174 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3175 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3176 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3177 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3178 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3179 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3180 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3183 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3186 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3187 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3188 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3191 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3194 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3195 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3196 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3197 into the group parameters for the group.
3199 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3200 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3201 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group. If
3202 @code{dummy-variable} has been bound (see above), it will be set to the
3203 (meaningless) result of the @code{(ding)} form.
3205 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3206 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3207 following is added to a group parameter
3210 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3211 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3214 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3219 @vindex gnus-parameters
3220 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3221 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3222 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3226 (setq gnus-parameters
3228 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3229 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3230 (gnus-summary-line-format
3231 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3235 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3239 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3243 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3246 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3247 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3249 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3250 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3251 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3252 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3253 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3254 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3255 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3256 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3257 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3258 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3259 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3260 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3262 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3263 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3264 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3265 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3266 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3267 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3268 weekly news RSS feed
3269 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3275 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3276 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3277 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3278 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3279 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3281 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3282 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3283 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3284 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3285 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3286 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3290 @node Listing Groups
3291 @section Listing Groups
3292 @cindex group listing
3294 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3302 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3303 List all groups that have unread articles
3304 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3305 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3306 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3307 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3314 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3315 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3316 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3317 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3318 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3319 unsubscribed groups).
3323 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3324 List all unread groups on a specific level
3325 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3326 with no unread articles.
3330 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3331 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3332 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3333 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3338 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3339 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3343 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3344 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3345 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3349 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3350 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3354 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3355 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3356 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3357 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3358 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3359 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3360 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3361 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3365 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3366 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3367 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3371 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3372 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3373 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3377 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3378 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3382 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3383 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3387 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3388 List groups limited within the current selection
3389 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3393 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3394 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3398 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3399 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3403 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3404 @cindex visible group parameter
3405 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3406 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3407 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3408 get the same effect.
3410 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3411 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3412 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3413 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3414 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3417 @node Sorting Groups
3418 @section Sorting Groups
3419 @cindex sorting groups
3421 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3422 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3423 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3424 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3425 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3426 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3431 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3432 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3433 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3435 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3436 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3437 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3439 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3440 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3441 Sort by group level.
3443 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3444 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3445 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3447 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3448 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3449 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3450 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3452 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3453 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3454 Sort by number of unread articles.
3456 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3457 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3458 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3460 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3461 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3462 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3467 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3468 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3472 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3473 some sorting criteria:
3477 @kindex G S a (Group)
3478 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3479 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3480 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3483 @kindex G S u (Group)
3484 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3485 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3486 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3489 @kindex G S l (Group)
3490 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3491 Sort the group buffer by group level
3492 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3495 @kindex G S v (Group)
3496 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3497 Sort the group buffer by group score
3498 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3501 @kindex G S r (Group)
3502 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3503 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3504 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3507 @kindex G S m (Group)
3508 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3509 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3510 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3513 @kindex G S n (Group)
3514 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3515 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3516 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3520 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3521 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3523 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3524 commands will sort in reverse order.
3526 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3530 @kindex G P a (Group)
3531 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3532 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3533 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3536 @kindex G P u (Group)
3537 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3538 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3539 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3542 @kindex G P l (Group)
3543 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3544 Sort the groups by group level
3545 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3548 @kindex G P v (Group)
3549 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3550 Sort the groups by group score
3551 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3554 @kindex G P r (Group)
3555 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3556 Sort the groups by group rank
3557 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3560 @kindex G P m (Group)
3561 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3562 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3563 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3566 @kindex G P n (Group)
3567 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3568 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3569 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3572 @kindex G P s (Group)
3573 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3574 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3578 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3582 @node Group Maintenance
3583 @section Group Maintenance
3584 @cindex bogus groups
3589 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3590 Find bogus groups and delete them
3591 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3595 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3596 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3597 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3598 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3599 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3603 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3604 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3605 @cindex expiring mail
3606 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3607 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3608 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3609 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3612 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3613 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3614 @cindex expiring mail
3615 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3616 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3621 @node Browse Foreign Server
3622 @section Browse Foreign Server
3623 @cindex foreign servers
3624 @cindex browsing servers
3629 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3630 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3631 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3632 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3635 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3636 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3637 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3638 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3640 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3645 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3646 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3650 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3651 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3654 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3655 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3656 Enter the current group and display the first article
3657 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3660 @kindex RET (Browse)
3661 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3662 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3666 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3667 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3668 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3674 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3675 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3679 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3680 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3684 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3685 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3686 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3691 @section Exiting Gnus
3692 @cindex exiting Gnus
3694 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3699 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3700 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3701 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3702 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3706 @findex gnus-group-exit
3707 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3708 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3712 @findex gnus-group-quit
3713 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3714 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3717 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3718 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3719 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3720 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3721 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3722 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3728 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3729 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3730 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3736 @section Group Topics
3739 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3740 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3741 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3742 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3743 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3744 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3748 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3749 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3760 2: alt.religion.emacs
3763 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3765 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3766 13: comp.sources.unix
3769 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3771 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3772 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3773 is a toggling command.)
3775 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3776 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3777 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3778 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3781 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3782 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3783 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3786 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3790 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3791 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3792 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3793 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3794 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3798 @node Topic Commands
3799 @subsection Topic Commands
3800 @cindex topic commands
3802 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3803 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3804 definitions slightly.
3806 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3807 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3808 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3809 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3810 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3811 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3813 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3820 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3821 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3822 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3826 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3828 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3829 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3830 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3831 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3834 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3835 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3836 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3837 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3841 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3842 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3843 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3844 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3850 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3851 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3852 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3856 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3857 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3858 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3861 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3862 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3863 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3864 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3865 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3867 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3868 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3872 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3873 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3880 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3882 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3883 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3884 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3885 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3886 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3887 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3891 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3897 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3898 Move the current group to some other topic
3899 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3900 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3904 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3905 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3909 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3910 Copy the current group to some other topic
3911 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3912 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3916 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3917 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3918 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3922 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3923 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3924 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3928 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3929 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3930 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3931 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3932 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3933 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3934 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3937 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3938 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3942 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3943 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3944 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3948 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3949 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3950 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3954 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3955 Toggle hiding empty topics
3956 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3960 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3961 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3962 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3963 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3966 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3967 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3968 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3969 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3970 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3973 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3974 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3975 @cindex expiring mail
3976 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3977 expiry process (if any)
3978 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3982 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3983 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3986 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3987 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3988 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3992 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3993 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3994 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3997 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3998 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3999 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
4002 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
4003 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
4004 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
4008 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
4009 @cindex group parameters
4010 @cindex topic parameters
4012 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
4013 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
4018 @node Topic Variables
4019 @subsection Topic Variables
4020 @cindex topic variables
4022 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
4023 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
4025 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
4026 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
4027 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4040 Number of groups in the topic.
4042 Number of unread articles in the topic.
4044 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
4047 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
4048 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
4049 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
4052 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
4053 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
4055 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
4056 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
4057 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
4061 @subsection Topic Sorting
4062 @cindex topic sorting
4064 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
4070 @kindex T S a (Topic)
4071 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
4072 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
4073 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
4076 @kindex T S u (Topic)
4077 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
4078 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
4079 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4082 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4083 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4084 Sort the current topic by group level
4085 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4088 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4089 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4090 Sort the current topic by group score
4091 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4094 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4095 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4096 Sort the current topic by group rank
4097 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4100 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4101 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4102 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4103 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4106 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4107 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4108 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4109 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4112 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4113 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4114 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4115 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4116 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4120 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4121 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4125 @node Topic Topology
4126 @subsection Topic Topology
4127 @cindex topic topology
4130 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4137 2: alt.religion.emacs
4140 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4142 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4143 13: comp.sources.unix
4147 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4148 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4149 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4154 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4155 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4159 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4160 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4161 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4162 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4163 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4164 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4166 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4167 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4168 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4171 @node Topic Parameters
4172 @subsection Topic Parameters
4173 @cindex topic parameters
4175 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4176 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4177 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4178 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4179 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4181 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4186 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4187 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4188 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4191 @item subscribe-level
4192 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4193 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4194 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4198 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4199 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4200 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4201 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4208 2: alt.religion.emacs
4212 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4214 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4215 13: comp.sources.unix
4220 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4221 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4222 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4223 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4224 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4225 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4227 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4228 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4229 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4230 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4231 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4233 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4234 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4235 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4236 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4237 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4238 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4239 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4240 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4243 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4244 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4245 @cindex non-ascii group names
4247 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4248 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4249 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4250 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4251 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4252 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4253 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4256 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4257 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4258 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4259 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4260 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4261 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4262 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4263 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4266 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4267 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4268 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4269 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4270 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4273 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4274 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4277 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4278 ones specified for the same groups with the
4279 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4281 A select method can be very long, like:
4285 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4286 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4287 (nntp-open-connection-function
4288 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4289 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4290 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4291 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4292 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4295 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4296 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4299 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4300 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4301 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4302 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4303 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4304 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4307 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4308 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4312 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4313 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4316 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4317 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4318 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4319 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4320 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4321 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4323 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4327 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4328 @vindex nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4329 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}. The
4330 default is @code{nil} in Emacs, or is the aliasee of the coding system
4331 named @code{file-name} (a certain coding system of which an alias is
4332 @code{file-name}) in XEmacs.
4334 The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back end, the @acronym{NNTP}
4335 marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent, and the cache use
4336 non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and directories. This
4337 variable overrides the value of @code{file-name-coding-system} which
4338 specifies the coding system used when encoding and decoding those file
4339 names and directory names.
4341 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4342 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4343 file names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4344 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4345 is @code{nil} or it is bound to the value of
4346 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} which is @code{nil}.
4348 Normally the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system} in Emacs or
4349 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} in XEmacs is initialized according
4350 to the locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable
4351 to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4353 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4354 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4355 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4356 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4358 If @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable is
4359 initialized by default to @code{iso-latin-1} for example, although you
4360 want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese, that is the most
4361 typical case where you have to customize
4362 @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}. The @code{utf-8} coding system is
4363 a good candidate for it. Otherwise, you may change the locale in your
4364 system so that @code{default-file-name-coding-system} or this variable
4365 may be initialized to an appropriate value.
4368 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4369 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4370 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4371 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4378 * nnir:: Searching on IMAP, with swish, namazu, etc.
4379 * nnmairix:: Searching maildir, MH or mbox with Mairix.
4384 FIXME: This node is a stub.
4386 FIXME: Add a brief overview of Gnus search capabilities. A brief
4387 comparison of nnir, nnmairix, contrib/gnus-namazu would be nice
4390 FIXME: Explain difference to @ref{Searching for Articles}, add reference
4396 FIXME: As a first step, convert the commentary of @file{nnir} to texi.
4400 @subsection nnmairix
4404 This paragraph describes how to set up mairix and the back end
4405 @code{nnmairix} for indexing and searching your mail from within
4406 Gnus. Additionally, you can create permanent ``smart'' groups which are
4407 bound to mairix searches and are automatically updated.
4410 * About mairix:: About the mairix mail search engine
4411 * nnmairix requirements:: What you will need for using nnmairix
4412 * What nnmairix does:: What does nnmairix actually do?
4413 * Setting up mairix:: Set up your mairix installation
4414 * Configuring nnmairix:: Set up the nnmairix back end
4415 * nnmairix keyboard shortcuts:: List of available keyboard shortcuts
4416 * Propagating marks:: How to propagate marks from nnmairix groups
4417 * nnmairix tips and tricks:: Some tips, tricks and examples
4418 * nnmairix caveats:: Some more stuff you might want to know
4421 @c FIXME: The markup in this section might need improvement.
4422 @c E.g. adding @samp, @var, @file, @command, etc.
4423 @c Cf. (info "(texinfo)Indicating")
4426 @subsubsection About mairix
4428 Mairix is a tool for indexing and searching words in locally stored
4429 mail. It was written by Richard Curnow and is licensed under the
4430 GPL. Mairix comes with most popular GNU/Linux distributions, but it also
4431 runs under Windows (with cygwin), Mac OS X and Solaris. The homepage can
4433 @uref{http://www.rpcurnow.force9.co.uk/mairix/index.html}
4435 Though mairix might not be as flexible as other search tools like
4436 swish++ or namazu, which you can use via the @code{nnir} back end, it
4437 has the prime advantage of being incredibly fast. On current systems, it
4438 can easily search through headers and message bodies of thousands and
4439 thousands of mails in well under a second. Building the database
4440 necessary for searching might take a minute or two, but only has to be
4441 done once fully. Afterwards, the updates are done incrementally and
4442 therefore are really fast, too. Additionally, mairix is very easy to set
4445 For maximum speed though, mairix should be used with mails stored in
4446 @code{Maildir} or @code{MH} format (this includes the @code{nnml} back
4447 end), although it also works with mbox. Mairix presents the search
4448 results by populating a @emph{virtual} maildir/MH folder with symlinks
4449 which point to the ``real'' message files (if mbox is used, copies are
4450 made). Since mairix already presents search results in such a virtual
4451 mail folder, it is very well suited for using it as an external program
4452 for creating @emph{smart} mail folders, which represent certain mail
4453 searches. This is similar to a Kiboze group (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}),
4456 @node nnmairix requirements
4457 @subsubsection nnmairix requirements
4459 Mairix searches local mail---that means, mairix absolutely must have
4460 direct access to your mail folders. If your mail resides on another
4461 server (e.g. an @acronym{IMAP} server) and you happen to have shell
4462 access, @code{nnmairix} supports running mairix remotely, e.g. via ssh.
4464 Additionally, @code{nnmairix} only supports the following Gnus back
4465 ends: @code{nnml}, @code{nnmaildir}, and @code{nnimap}. You must use
4466 one of these back ends for using @code{nnmairix}. Other back ends, like
4467 @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnfolder} or @code{nnmh}, won't work.
4469 If you absolutely must use mbox and still want to use @code{nnmairix},
4470 you can set up a local @acronym{IMAP} server, which you then access via
4471 @code{nnimap}. This is a rather massive setup for accessing some mbox
4472 files, so just change to MH or Maildir already... However, if you're
4473 really, really passionate about using mbox, you might want to look into
4474 the package @file{mairix.el}, which comes with Emacs 23.
4476 @node What nnmairix does
4477 @subsubsection What nnmairix does
4479 The back end @code{nnmairix} enables you to call mairix from within Gnus,
4480 either to query mairix with a search term or to update the
4481 database. While visiting a message in the summary buffer, you can use
4482 several pre-defined shortcuts for calling mairix, e.g. to quickly
4483 search for all mails from the sender of the current message or to
4484 display the whole thread associated with the message, even if the
4485 mails are in different folders.
4487 Additionally, you can create permanent @code{nnmairix} groups which are bound
4488 to certain mairix searches. This way, you can easily create a group
4489 containing mails from a certain sender, with a certain subject line or
4490 even for one specific thread based on the Message-ID. If you check for
4491 new mail in these folders (e.g. by pressing @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g}), they
4492 automatically update themselves by calling mairix.
4494 You might ask why you need @code{nnmairix} at all, since mairix already
4495 creates the group, populates it with links to the mails so that you can
4496 then access it with Gnus, right? Well, this @emph{might} work, but often
4497 does not---at least not without problems. Most probably you will get
4498 strange article counts, and sometimes you might see mails which Gnus
4499 claims have already been canceled and are inaccessible. This is due to
4500 the fact that Gnus isn't really amused when things are happening behind
4501 its back. Another problem can be the mail back end itself, e.g. if you
4502 use mairix with an @acronym{IMAP} server (I had Dovecot complaining
4503 about corrupt index files when mairix changed the contents of the search
4504 group). Using @code{nnmairix} should circumvent these problems.
4506 @code{nnmairix} is not really a mail back end---it's actually more like
4507 a wrapper, sitting between a ``real'' mail back end where mairix stores
4508 the searches and the Gnus front end. You can choose between three
4509 different mail back ends for the mairix folders: @code{nnml},
4510 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnimap}. @code{nnmairix} will call the mairix
4511 binary so that the search results are stored in folders named
4512 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>} on this mail back end, but it will
4513 present these folders in the Gnus front end only with @code{<NAME>}.
4514 You can use an existing mail back end where you already store your mail,
4515 but if you're uncomfortable with @code{nnmairix} creating new mail
4516 groups alongside your other mail, you can also create e.g. a new
4517 @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml} server exclusively for mairix, but then
4518 make sure those servers do not accidentally receive your new mail
4519 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). A special case exists if you want to use
4520 mairix remotely on an IMAP server with @code{nnimap}---here the mairix
4521 folders and your other mail must be on the same @code{nnimap} back end.
4523 @node Setting up mairix
4524 @subsubsection Setting up mairix
4526 First: create a backup of your mail folders (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}).
4528 Setting up mairix is easy: simply create a @file{.mairixrc} file with
4529 (at least) the following entries:
4532 # Your Maildir/MH base folder
4536 This is the base folder for your mails. All the following directories
4537 are relative to this base folder. If you want to use @code{nnmairix}
4538 with @code{nnimap}, this base directory has to point to the mail
4539 directory where the @acronym{IMAP} server stores the mail folders!
4542 maildir= ... your maildir folders which should be indexed ...
4543 mh= ... your nnml/mh folders which should be indexed ...
4544 mbox = ... your mbox files which should be indexed ...
4547 This specifies all your mail folders and mbox files (relative to the
4548 base directory!) you want to index with mairix. Note that the
4549 @code{nnml} back end saves mails in MH format, so you have to put those
4550 directories in the @code{mh} line. See the example at the end of this
4551 section and mairixrc's man-page for further details.
4557 @vindex nnmairix-group-prefix
4558 This should make sure that you don't accidentally index the mairix
4559 search results. You can change the prefix of these folders with the
4560 variable @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
4563 mformat= ... 'maildir' or 'mh' ...
4564 database= ... location of database file ...
4567 The @code{format} setting specifies the output format for the mairix
4568 search folder. Set this to @code{mh} if you want to access search results
4569 with @code{nnml}. Otherwise choose @code{maildir}.
4571 To summarize, here is my shortened @file{.mairixrc} file as an example:
4575 maildir=.personal:.work:.logcheck:.sent
4576 mh=../Mail/nnml/*...
4577 mbox=../mboxmail/mailarchive_year*
4580 database=~/.mairixdatabase
4583 In this case, the base directory is @file{~/Maildir}, where all my Maildir
4584 folders are stored. As you can see, the folders are separated by
4585 colons. If you wonder why every folder begins with a dot: this is
4586 because I use Dovecot as @acronym{IMAP} server, which again uses
4587 @code{Maildir++} folders. For testing nnmairix, I also have some
4588 @code{nnml} mail, which is saved in @file{~/Mail/nnml}. Since this has
4589 to be specified relative to the @code{base} directory, the @code{../Mail}
4590 notation is needed. Note that the line ends in @code{*...}, which means
4591 to recursively scan all files under this directory. Without the three
4592 dots, the wildcard @code{*} will not work recursively. I also have some
4593 old mbox files with archived mail lying around in @file{~/mboxmail}.
4594 The other lines should be obvious.
4596 See the man page for @code{mairixrc} for details and further options,
4597 especially regarding wildcard usage, which may be a little different
4598 than you are used to.
4600 Now simply call @code{mairix} to create the index for the first time.
4601 Note that this may take a few minutes, but every following index will do
4602 the updates incrementally and hence is very fast.
4604 @node Configuring nnmairix
4605 @subsubsection Configuring nnmairix
4607 In group mode, type @kbd{G b c}
4608 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). This will ask you for all
4609 necessary information and create a @code{nnmairix} server as a foreign
4610 server. You will have to specify the following:
4615 The @strong{name} of the @code{nnmairix} server---choose whatever you
4619 The name of the @strong{back end server} where mairix should store its
4620 searches. This must be a full server name, like @code{nnml:mymail}.
4621 Just hit @kbd{TAB} to see the available servers. Currently, servers
4622 which are accessed through @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnimap} and
4623 @code{nnml} are supported. As explained above, for locally stored
4624 mails, this can be an existing server where you store your mails.
4625 However, you can also create e.g. a new @code{nnmaildir} or @code{nnml}
4626 server exclusively for @code{nnmairix} in your secondary select methods
4627 (@pxref{Finding the News}). If you use a secondary @code{nnml} server
4628 just for mairix, make sure that you explicitly set the server variable
4629 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}, or you might loose mail
4630 (@pxref{nnmairix caveats}). If you want to use mairix remotely on an
4631 @acronym{IMAP} server, you have to choose the corresponding
4632 @code{nnimap} server here.
4635 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-search-options
4636 The @strong{command} to call the mairix binary. This will usually just
4637 be @code{mairix}, but you can also choose something like @code{ssh
4638 SERVER mairix} if you want to call mairix remotely, e.g. on your
4639 @acronym{IMAP} server. If you want to add some default options to
4640 mairix, you could do this here, but better use the variable
4641 @code{nnmairix-mairix-search-options} instead.
4644 The name of the @strong{default search group}. This will be the group
4645 where all temporary mairix searches are stored, i.e. all searches which
4646 are not bound to permanent @code{nnmairix} groups. Choose whatever you
4650 If the mail back end is @code{nnimap} or @code{nnmaildir}, you will be
4651 asked if you work with @strong{Maildir++}, i.e. with hidden maildir
4652 folders (=beginning with a dot). For example, you have to answer
4653 @samp{yes} here if you work with the Dovecot @acronym{IMAP}
4654 server. Otherwise, you should answer @samp{no} here.
4658 @node nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4659 @subsubsection nnmairix keyboard shortcuts
4666 @kindex G b c (Group)
4667 @findex nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group
4668 Creates @code{nnmairix} server and default search group for this server
4669 (@code{nnmairix-create-server-and-default-group}). You should have done
4670 this by now (@pxref{Configuring nnmairix}).
4673 @kindex G b s (Group)
4674 @findex nnmairix-search
4675 Prompts for query which is then sent to the mairix binary. Search
4676 results are put into the default search group which is automatically
4677 displayed (@code{nnmairix-search}).
4680 @kindex G b m (Group)
4681 @findex nnmairix-widget-search
4682 Allows you to create a mairix search or a permanent group more
4683 comfortably using graphical widgets, similar to a customization
4684 group. Just try it to see how it works (@code{nnmairix-widget-search}).
4687 @kindex G b i (Group)
4688 @findex nnmairix-search-interactive
4689 Another command for creating a mairix query more comfortably, but uses
4690 only the minibuffer (@code{nnmairix-search-interactive}).
4693 @kindex G b g (Group)
4694 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group
4695 Creates a permanent group which is associated with a search query
4696 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group}). The @code{nnmairix} back end
4697 automatically calls mairix when you update this group with @kbd{g} or
4701 @kindex G b q (Group)
4702 @findex nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group
4703 Changes the search query for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor
4704 (@code{nnmairix-group-change-query-this-group}).
4707 @kindex G b t (Group)
4708 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group
4709 Toggles the 'threads' parameter for the @code{nnmairix} group under cursor,
4710 i.e. if you want see the whole threads of the found messages
4711 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-threads-this-group}).
4714 @kindex G b u (Group)
4715 @findex nnmairix-update-database
4716 @vindex nnmairix-mairix-update-options
4717 Calls mairix binary for updating the database
4718 (@code{nnmairix-update-database}). The default parameters are @code{-F}
4719 and @code{-Q} for making this as fast as possible (see variable
4720 @code{nnmairix-mairix-update-options} for defining these default
4724 @kindex G b r (Group)
4725 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group
4726 Keep articles in this @code{nnmairix} group always read or unread, or leave the
4727 marks unchanged (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-readmarks-this-group}).
4730 @kindex G b d (Group)
4731 @findex nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group
4732 Recreate @code{nnmairix} group on the ``real'' mail back end
4733 (@code{nnmairix-group-delete-recreate-this-group}). You can do this if
4734 you always get wrong article counts with a @code{nnmairix} group.
4737 @kindex G b a (Group)
4738 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group
4739 Toggles the @code{allow-fast} parameters for group under cursor
4740 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-allowfast-this-group}). The default
4741 behavior of @code{nnmairix} is to do a mairix search every time you
4742 update or enter the group. With the @code{allow-fast} parameter set,
4743 mairix will only be called when you explicitly update the group, but not
4744 upon entering. This makes entering the group faster, but it may also
4745 lead to dangling symlinks if something changed between updating and
4746 entering the group which is not yet in the mairix database.
4749 @kindex G b p (Group)
4750 @findex nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group
4751 Toggle marks propagation for this group
4752 (@code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group}). (@pxref{Propagating
4756 @kindex G b o (Group)
4757 @findex nnmairix-propagate-marks
4758 Manually propagate marks (@code{nnmairix-propagate-marks}); needed only when
4759 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} is set to @code{nil}.
4768 @kindex $ m (Summary)
4769 @findex nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article
4770 Allows you to create a mairix query or group based on the current
4771 message using graphical widgets (same as @code{nnmairix-widget-search})
4772 (@code{nnmairix-widget-search-from-this-article}).
4775 @kindex $ g (Summary)
4776 @findex nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message
4777 Interactively creates a new search group with query based on the current
4778 message, but uses the minibuffer instead of graphical widgets
4779 (@code{nnmairix-create-search-group-from-message}).
4782 @kindex $ t (Summary)
4783 @findex nnmairix-search-thread-this-article
4784 Searches thread for the current article
4785 (@code{nnmairix-search-thread-this-article}). This is effectively a
4786 shortcut for calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{m:msgid} of the
4787 current article and enabled threads.
4790 @kindex $ f (Summary)
4791 @findex nnmairix-search-from-this-article
4792 Searches all messages from sender of the current article
4793 (@code{nnmairix-search-from-this-article}). This is a shortcut for
4794 calling @code{nnmairix-search} with @samp{f:From}.
4797 @kindex $ o (Summary)
4798 @findex nnmairix-goto-original-article
4799 (Only in @code{nnmairix} groups!) Tries determine the group this article
4800 originally came from and displays the article in this group, so that
4801 e.g. replying to this article the correct posting styles/group
4802 parameters are applied (@code{nnmairix-goto-original-article}). This
4803 function will use the registry if available, but can also parse the
4804 article file name as a fallback method.
4807 @kindex $ u (Summary)
4808 @findex nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article
4809 Remove possibly existing tick mark from original article
4810 (@code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article}). (@pxref{nnmairix
4815 @node Propagating marks
4816 @subsubsection Propagating marks
4818 First of: you really need a patched mairix binary for using the marks
4819 propagation feature efficiently. Otherwise, you would have to update
4820 the mairix database all the time. You can get the patch at
4822 @uref{http://www.randomsample.de/mairix-maildir-patch.tar}
4824 You need the mairix v0.21 source code for this patch; everything else
4825 is explained in the accompanied readme file. If you don't want to use
4826 marks propagation, you don't have to apply these patches, but they also
4827 fix some annoyances regarding changing maildir flags, so it might still
4830 With the patched mairix binary, you can use @code{nnmairix} as an
4831 alternative to mail splitting (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}). For
4832 example, instead of splitting all mails from @samp{david@@foobar.com}
4833 into a group, you can simply create a search group with the query
4834 @samp{f:david@@foobar.com}. This is actually what ``smart folders'' are
4835 all about: simply put everything in one mail folder and dynamically
4836 create searches instead of splitting. This is more flexible, since you
4837 can dynamically change your folders any time you want to. This also
4838 implies that you will usually read your mails in the @code{nnmairix}
4839 groups instead of your ``real'' mail groups.
4841 There is one problem, though: say you got a new mail from
4842 @samp{david@@foobar.com}; it will now show up in two groups, the
4843 ``real'' group (your INBOX, for example) and in the @code{nnmairix}
4844 search group (provided you have updated the mairix database). Now you
4845 enter the @code{nnmairix} group and read the mail. The mail will be
4846 marked as read, but only in the @code{nnmairix} group---in the ``real''
4847 mail group it will be still shown as unread.
4849 You could now catch up the mail group (@pxref{Group Data}), but this is
4850 tedious and error prone, since you may overlook mails you don't have
4851 created @code{nnmairix} groups for. Of course, you could first use
4852 @code{nnmairix-goto-original-article} (@pxref{nnmairix keyboard
4853 shortcuts}) and then read the mail in the original group, but that's
4854 even more cumbersome.
4856 Clearly, the easiest way would be if marks could somehow be
4857 automatically set for the original article. This is exactly what
4858 @emph{marks propagation} is about.
4860 Marks propagation is deactivated by default. You can activate it for a
4861 certain @code{nnmairix} group with
4862 @code{nnmairix-group-toggle-propmarks-this-group} (bound to @kbd{G b
4863 p}). This function will warn you if you try to use it with your default
4864 search group; the reason is that the default search group is used for
4865 temporary searches, and it's easy to accidentally propagate marks from
4866 this group. However, you can ignore this warning if you really want to.
4868 With marks propagation enabled, all the marks you set in a @code{nnmairix}
4869 group should now be propagated to the original article. For example,
4870 you can now tick an article (by default with @kbd{!}) and this mark should
4871 magically be set for the original article, too.
4873 A few more remarks which you may or may not want to know:
4875 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close
4876 Marks will not be set immediately, but only upon closing a group. This
4877 not only makes marks propagation faster, it also avoids problems with
4878 dangling symlinks when dealing with maildir files (since changing flags
4879 will change the file name). You can also control when to propagate marks
4880 via @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-upon-close} (see the doc-string for
4883 Obviously, @code{nnmairix} will have to look up the original group for every
4884 article you want to set marks for. If available, @code{nnmairix} will first use
4885 the registry for determining the original group. The registry is very
4886 fast, hence you should really, really enable the registry when using
4887 marks propagation. If you don't have to worry about RAM and disc space,
4888 set @code{gnus-registry-max-entries} to a large enough value; to be on
4889 the safe side, choose roughly the amount of mails you index with mairix.
4891 @vindex nnmairix-only-use-registry
4892 If you don't want to use the registry or the registry hasn't seen the
4893 original article yet, @code{nnmairix} will use an additional mairix
4894 search for determining the file name of the article. This, of course, is
4895 way slower than the registry---if you set hundreds or even thousands of
4896 marks this way, it might take some time. You can avoid this situation by
4897 setting @code{nnmairix-only-use-registry} to t.
4899 Maybe you also want to propagate marks the other way round, i.e. if you
4900 tick an article in a "real" mail group, you'd like to have the same
4901 article in a @code{nnmairix} group ticked, too. For several good
4902 reasons, this can only be done efficiently if you use maildir. To
4903 immediately contradict myself, let me mention that it WON'T work with
4904 @code{nnmaildir}, since @code{nnmaildir} stores the marks externally and
4905 not in the file name. Therefore, propagating marks to @code{nnmairix}
4906 groups will usually only work if you use an IMAP server which uses
4907 maildir as its file format.
4909 @vindex nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups
4910 If you work with this setup, just set
4911 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t} and see what
4912 happens. If you don't like what you see, just set it to @code{nil} again. One
4913 problem might be that you get a wrong number of unread articles; this
4914 usually happens when you delete or expire articles in the original
4915 groups. When this happens, you can recreate the @code{nnmairix} group on the
4916 back end using @kbd{G b d}.
4918 @node nnmairix tips and tricks
4919 @subsubsection nnmairix tips and tricks
4925 @findex nnmairix-update-groups
4926 I put all my important mail groups at group level 1. The mairix groups
4927 have group level 5, so they do not get checked at start up (@pxref{Group
4930 I use the following to check for mails:
4933 (defun my-check-mail-mairix-update (level)
4935 ;; if no prefix given, set level=1
4936 (gnus-group-get-new-news (or level 1))
4937 (nnmairix-update-groups "mairixsearch" t t)
4938 (gnus-group-list-groups))
4940 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map "g" 'my-check-mail-mairix-update)
4943 Instead of @samp{"mairixsearch"} use the name of your @code{nnmairix}
4944 server. See the doc string for @code{nnmairix-update-groups} for
4948 Example: search group for ticked articles
4950 For example, you can create a group for all ticked articles, where the
4951 articles always stay unread:
4953 Hit @kbd{G b g}, enter group name (e.g. @samp{important}), use
4954 @samp{F:f} as query and do not include threads.
4956 Now activate marks propagation for this group by using @kbd{G b p}. Then
4957 activate the always-unread feature by using @kbd{G b r} twice.
4959 So far so good---but how do you remove the tick marks in the @code{nnmairix}
4960 group? There are two options: You may simply use
4961 @code{nnmairix-remove-tick-mark-original-article} (bound to @kbd{$ u}) to remove
4962 tick marks from the original article. The other possibility is to set
4963 @code{nnmairix-propagate-marks-to-nnmairix-groups} to @code{t}, but see the above
4964 comments about this option. If it works for you, the tick marks should
4965 also exist in the @code{nnmairix} group and you can remove them as usual,
4966 e.g. by marking an article as read.
4968 When you have removed a tick mark from the original article, this
4969 article should vanish from the @code{nnmairix} group after you have updated the
4970 mairix database and updated the group. Fortunately, there is a function
4971 for doing exactly that: @code{nnmairix-update-groups}. See the previous code
4972 snippet and the doc string for details.
4975 Dealing with auto-subscription of mail groups
4977 As described before, all @code{nnmairix} groups are in fact stored on
4978 the mail back end in the form @samp{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can
4979 see them when you enter the back end server in the server buffer. You
4980 should not subscribe these groups! Unfortunately, these groups will
4981 usually get @emph{auto-subscribed} when you use @code{nnmaildir} or
4982 @code{nnml}, i.e. you will suddenly see groups of the form
4983 @samp{zz_mairix*} pop up in your group buffer. If this happens to you,
4984 simply kill these groups with C-k. For avoiding this, turn off
4985 auto-subscription completely by setting the variable
4986 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups} to @code{nil} (@pxref{Filtering New
4987 Groups}), or if you like to keep this feature use the following kludge
4988 for turning it off for all groups beginning with @samp{zz_}:
4991 (setq gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
4992 "^\\(nnml\\|nnfolder\\|nnmbox\\|nnmh\\|nnbabyl\\|nnmaildir\\).*:\\([^z]\\|z$\\|\\z[^z]\\|zz$\\|zz[^_]\\|zz_$\\).*")
4997 @node nnmairix caveats
4998 @subsubsection nnmairix caveats
5002 You can create a secondary @code{nnml} server just for nnmairix, but then
5003 you have to explicitly set the corresponding server variable
5004 @code{nnml-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}. Otherwise, new mail might get
5005 put into this secondary server (and would never show up again). Here's
5006 an example server definition:
5009 (nnml "mairix" (nnml-directory "mairix") (nnml-get-new-mail nil))
5012 (The @code{nnmaildir} back end also has a server variabe
5013 @code{get-new-mail}, but its default value is @code{nil}, so you don't
5014 have to explicitly set it if you use a @code{nnmaildir} server just for
5018 If you use the Gnus registry: don't use the registry with
5019 @code{nnmairix} groups (put them in
5020 @code{gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups}). Be @emph{extra careful} if
5021 you use @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}; mails which are
5022 split into @code{nnmairix} groups are usually gone for good as soon as
5023 you check the group for new mail (yes, it has happened to me...).
5026 Therefore: @emph{Never ever} put ``real'' mails into @code{nnmairix}
5027 groups (you shouldn't be able to, anyway).
5030 If you use the Gnus agent (@pxref{Gnus Unplugged}): don't agentize
5031 @code{nnmairix} groups (though I have no idea what happens if you do).
5034 mairix does only support us-ascii characters.
5037 @code{nnmairix} uses a rather brute force method to force Gnus to
5038 completely reread the group on the mail back end after mairix was
5039 called---it simply deletes and re-creates the group on the mail
5040 back end. So far, this has worked for me without any problems, and I
5041 don't see how @code{nnmairix} could delete other mail groups than its
5042 own, but anyway: you really should have a backup of your mail
5046 All necessary information is stored in the group parameters
5047 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). This has the advantage that no active file
5048 is needed, but also implies that when you kill a @code{nnmairix} group,
5049 it is gone for good.
5052 @findex nnmairix-purge-old-groups
5053 If you create and kill a lot of @code{nnmairix} groups, the
5054 ``zz_mairix-*'' groups will accumulate on the mail back end server. To
5055 delete old groups which are no longer needed, call
5056 @code{nnmairix-purge-old-groups}. Note that this assumes that you don't
5057 save any ``real'' mail in folders of the form
5058 @code{zz_mairix-<NAME>-<NUMBER>}. You can change the prefix of
5059 @code{nnmairix} groups by changing the variable
5060 @code{nnmairix-group-prefix}.
5063 The following only applies if you @emph{don't} use the mentioned patch
5064 for mairix (@pxref{Propagating marks}):
5066 A problem can occur when using @code{nnmairix} with maildir folders and
5067 comes with the fact that maildir stores mail flags like @samp{Seen} or
5068 @samp{Replied} by appending chars @samp{S} and @samp{R} to the message
5069 file name, respectively. This implies that currently you would have to
5070 update the mairix database not only when new mail arrives, but also when
5071 mail flags are changing. The same applies to new mails which are indexed
5072 while they are still in the @samp{new} folder but then get moved to
5073 @samp{cur} when Gnus has seen the mail. If you don't update the database
5074 after this has happened, a mairix query can lead to symlinks pointing to
5075 non-existing files. In Gnus, these messages will usually appear with
5076 ``(none)'' entries in the header and can't be accessed. If this happens
5077 to you, using @kbd{G b u} and updating the group will usually fix this.
5081 @node Misc Group Stuff
5082 @section Misc Group Stuff
5085 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
5086 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
5087 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
5088 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
5089 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
5096 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
5097 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5098 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5101 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
5104 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
5107 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
5108 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
5112 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
5113 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
5114 @xref{Server Buffer}.
5118 @findex gnus-group-post-news
5119 Start composing a message (a news by default)
5120 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
5121 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5122 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
5123 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
5124 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5128 @findex gnus-group-mail
5129 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
5130 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
5131 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5132 @xref{Composing Messages}.
5136 @findex gnus-group-news
5137 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
5138 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
5139 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
5141 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5142 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5143 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5144 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5145 for this to work though.
5149 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
5151 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
5152 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
5153 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
5158 Variables for the group buffer:
5162 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
5163 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
5164 is called after the group buffer has been
5167 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
5168 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5169 is called after the group buffer is
5170 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
5173 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
5174 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
5175 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
5176 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
5178 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5179 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
5180 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
5181 whether they are empty or not.
5185 @node Scanning New Messages
5186 @subsection Scanning New Messages
5187 @cindex new messages
5188 @cindex scanning new news
5194 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
5195 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
5196 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
5197 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
5198 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
5199 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
5204 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
5205 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
5206 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
5207 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
5208 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
5209 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
5210 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
5212 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
5213 @cindex activating groups
5215 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
5216 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
5221 @findex gnus-group-restart
5222 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
5223 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
5224 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
5228 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
5229 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
5231 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
5232 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
5236 @node Group Information
5237 @subsection Group Information
5238 @cindex group information
5239 @cindex information on groups
5246 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
5247 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
5250 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
5251 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
5252 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
5253 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
5254 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
5255 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
5256 used for fetching the file.
5258 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
5259 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
5263 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
5264 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
5266 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
5267 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
5270 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
5271 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
5272 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
5276 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
5277 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
5278 @cindex control message
5279 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
5280 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
5281 group if given a prefix argument.
5283 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
5284 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
5285 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
5286 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
5288 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
5289 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
5290 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
5294 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
5296 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
5297 @cindex describing groups
5298 @cindex group description
5299 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
5300 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
5301 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
5305 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
5306 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
5307 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
5314 @findex gnus-version
5315 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
5319 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
5320 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
5323 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
5326 @findex gnus-info-find-node
5327 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
5331 @node Group Timestamp
5332 @subsection Group Timestamp
5334 @cindex group timestamps
5336 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
5337 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
5338 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
5341 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
5344 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
5346 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
5347 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
5350 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5351 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
5354 This will result in lines looking like:
5357 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
5358 0: custom 19961002T012713
5361 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
5362 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
5366 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5367 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
5370 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
5371 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
5375 (setq gnus-group-line-format
5376 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
5377 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
5378 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
5380 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
5386 @subsection File Commands
5387 @cindex file commands
5393 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
5394 @vindex gnus-init-file
5395 @cindex reading init file
5396 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
5397 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
5401 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
5402 @cindex saving .newsrc
5403 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
5404 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
5405 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
5408 @c @kindex Z (Group)
5409 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
5410 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
5415 @node Sieve Commands
5416 @subsection Sieve Commands
5417 @cindex group sieve commands
5419 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
5420 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
5421 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
5422 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
5423 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
5425 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5426 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
5427 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
5428 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
5429 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
5430 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
5431 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
5432 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
5433 regenerate the Sieve script.
5435 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
5436 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
5437 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
5438 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
5439 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
5440 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
5441 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
5442 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
5443 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
5444 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
5447 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
5448 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
5453 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
5459 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
5460 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5461 @cindex generating sieve script
5462 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
5463 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
5467 @findex gnus-sieve-update
5468 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
5469 @cindex updating sieve script
5470 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
5471 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
5472 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
5477 @node Summary Buffer
5478 @chapter Summary Buffer
5479 @cindex summary buffer
5481 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
5482 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
5484 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
5485 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
5487 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
5489 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
5490 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
5494 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
5495 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
5496 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
5498 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
5502 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
5503 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
5504 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
5505 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
5506 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
5507 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
5508 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
5509 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
5510 * Threading:: How threads are made.
5511 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
5512 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
5513 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
5514 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
5515 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
5516 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
5517 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
5518 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
5519 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
5520 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
5521 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
5522 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
5523 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
5524 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
5525 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
5526 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
5527 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
5528 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
5529 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
5530 or reselecting the current group.
5531 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
5532 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
5533 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
5534 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
5538 @node Summary Buffer Format
5539 @section Summary Buffer Format
5540 @cindex summary buffer format
5544 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
5545 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
5546 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
5552 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
5553 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
5554 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
5555 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
5558 @findex mail-extract-address-components
5559 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
5560 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
5561 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
5562 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
5563 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
5564 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
5565 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
5566 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
5567 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
5568 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
5571 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
5572 'mail-extract-address-components)
5575 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
5576 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
5577 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
5578 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
5581 @node Summary Buffer Lines
5582 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
5584 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5585 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
5586 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
5587 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
5588 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
5590 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
5591 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
5592 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
5593 possible to change this. Just write a new function
5594 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
5595 @xref{Positioning Point}.
5597 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
5599 The following format specification characters and extended format
5600 specification(s) are understood:
5606 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
5607 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
5609 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
5610 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
5611 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
5613 Full @code{From} header.
5615 The name (from the @code{From} header).
5617 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
5620 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
5621 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
5622 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
5623 may be more thorough.
5625 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
5628 Number of lines in the article.
5630 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
5631 in some methods (like nnfolder).
5633 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
5634 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
5636 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5638 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
5639 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
5652 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
5653 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
5654 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
5655 line-drawing glyphs.
5657 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5658 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
5659 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
5660 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5662 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5663 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
5664 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
5665 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
5667 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5668 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
5669 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
5670 instead. The default is @samp{}.
5672 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5673 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
5674 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
5676 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5677 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
5678 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
5680 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5681 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
5682 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
5684 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5685 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
5686 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
5691 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
5692 pushes everything after it off the screen).
5694 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
5695 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
5697 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
5698 for adopted articles.
5700 One space for each thread level.
5702 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
5704 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
5707 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
5708 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
5709 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
5712 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
5714 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
5715 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
5716 default level. If the difference between
5717 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
5718 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
5726 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
5728 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
5734 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
5735 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
5737 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
5738 article has any children.
5744 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
5746 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
5747 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
5749 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
5750 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
5751 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
5752 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
5753 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
5754 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
5757 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
5758 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
5759 There can only be one such area.
5761 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
5762 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
5763 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
5764 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
5765 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
5766 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
5768 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
5769 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
5771 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
5774 @node To From Newsgroups
5775 @subsection To From Newsgroups
5779 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
5780 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
5781 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
5782 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
5783 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
5787 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
5788 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
5789 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5793 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5794 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5797 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5798 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5801 @findex gnus-extra-header
5802 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5803 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5804 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5807 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5811 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5812 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5813 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5814 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5815 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5816 headers are used instead.
5818 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5819 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5820 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5821 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5822 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5823 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5827 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5828 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5829 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5830 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5831 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5832 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5835 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5836 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5837 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5838 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5840 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5844 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5846 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5847 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5848 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5849 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5853 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5856 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5857 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5860 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5861 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5862 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5868 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5869 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5872 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5873 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5875 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5876 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5877 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5878 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5880 Here are the elements you can play with:
5886 Unprefixed group name.
5888 Current article number.
5890 Current article score.
5894 Number of unread articles in this group.
5896 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5899 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5900 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5901 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5902 and no unselected ones.
5904 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5905 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5907 Subject of the current article.
5909 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5911 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5913 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5915 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5917 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5919 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5923 @node Summary Highlighting
5924 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5928 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5929 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5930 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5931 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5932 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5934 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5935 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5936 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5937 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5939 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5940 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5941 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5942 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5944 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5945 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5946 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5947 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5948 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5949 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5952 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5953 ((> score default) . bold))
5955 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5956 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5960 @node Summary Maneuvering
5961 @section Summary Maneuvering
5962 @cindex summary movement
5964 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5965 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5967 None of these commands select articles.
5972 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5973 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5974 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5975 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5976 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5980 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5981 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5982 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5983 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5984 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5987 @kindex G g (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5989 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5990 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5993 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5994 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5995 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5996 to the group buffer.
5998 Variables related to summary movement:
6002 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
6003 @item gnus-auto-select-next
6004 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
6005 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
6006 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
6007 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
6008 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
6009 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
6010 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
6011 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
6012 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
6013 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
6014 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
6015 @pxref{Group Levels}.
6017 @item gnus-auto-select-same
6018 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
6019 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
6020 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
6021 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
6022 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
6023 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
6025 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
6027 @item gnus-summary-check-current
6028 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
6029 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
6030 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
6031 Instead, they will choose the current article.
6033 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
6034 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
6035 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
6036 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
6037 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
6038 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
6039 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
6040 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
6043 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
6044 the given number of lines from the top.
6046 @item gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
6047 @vindex gnus-summary-stop-at-end-of-message
6048 If non-@code{nil}, don't go to the next article when hitting
6049 @kbd{SPC}, and you're at the end of the article.
6054 @node Choosing Articles
6055 @section Choosing Articles
6056 @cindex selecting articles
6059 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
6060 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
6064 @node Choosing Commands
6065 @subsection Choosing Commands
6067 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
6068 and they all select and display an article.
6070 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
6071 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
6075 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6076 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6077 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
6078 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6080 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
6081 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
6082 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
6087 @kindex G n (Summary)
6088 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
6089 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
6090 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
6095 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
6096 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
6097 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
6102 @kindex G N (Summary)
6103 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
6104 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
6109 @kindex G P (Summary)
6110 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
6111 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
6114 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
6115 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
6116 Go to the next article with the same subject
6117 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
6120 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
6121 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
6122 Go to the previous article with the same subject
6123 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
6127 @kindex G f (Summary)
6129 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
6130 Go to the first unread article
6131 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
6135 @kindex G b (Summary)
6137 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
6138 Go to the unread article with the highest score
6139 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
6140 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
6145 @kindex G l (Summary)
6146 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
6147 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
6150 @kindex G o (Summary)
6151 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
6153 @cindex article history
6154 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
6155 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
6156 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
6157 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
6158 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
6159 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
6164 @kindex G j (Summary)
6165 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
6166 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
6167 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
6172 @node Choosing Variables
6173 @subsection Choosing Variables
6175 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
6178 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6179 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
6180 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
6181 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
6182 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
6183 the server and display it in the article buffer.
6185 @item gnus-select-article-hook
6186 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
6187 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
6188 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
6189 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
6192 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
6193 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
6194 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
6195 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
6196 @findex gnus-unread-mark
6197 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
6198 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
6199 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
6200 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
6201 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
6202 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
6203 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
6204 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
6205 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
6210 @node Paging the Article
6211 @section Scrolling the Article
6212 @cindex article scrolling
6217 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
6218 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
6219 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
6220 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
6221 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
6223 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
6224 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
6225 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
6226 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
6227 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
6228 what is considered uninteresting with
6229 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
6230 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
6233 @kindex DEL (Summary)
6234 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
6235 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
6238 @kindex RET (Summary)
6239 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
6240 Scroll the current article one line forward
6241 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
6244 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
6245 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
6246 Scroll the current article one line backward
6247 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
6251 @kindex A g (Summary)
6253 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
6254 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6255 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
6256 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
6257 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
6258 the way it came from the server.
6260 @cindex charset, view article with different charset
6261 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
6262 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
6263 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
6266 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
6271 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
6276 @kindex A < (Summary)
6277 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
6278 Scroll to the beginning of the article
6279 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
6284 @kindex A > (Summary)
6285 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
6286 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
6290 @kindex A s (Summary)
6292 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
6293 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
6294 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
6298 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
6299 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
6304 @node Reply Followup and Post
6305 @section Reply, Followup and Post
6308 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
6309 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
6310 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
6311 * Canceling and Superseding::
6315 @node Summary Mail Commands
6316 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
6318 @cindex composing mail
6320 Commands for composing a mail message:
6326 @kindex S r (Summary)
6328 @findex gnus-summary-reply
6329 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
6330 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
6331 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
6332 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
6337 @kindex S R (Summary)
6338 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
6339 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
6340 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6341 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
6342 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6345 @kindex S w (Summary)
6346 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
6347 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
6348 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
6349 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6350 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
6351 present, that's used instead.
6354 @kindex S W (Summary)
6355 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
6356 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
6357 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
6358 the process/prefix convention.
6361 @kindex S v (Summary)
6362 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
6363 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
6364 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
6365 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
6366 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
6367 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
6370 @kindex S V (Summary)
6371 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
6372 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
6373 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
6374 command uses the process/prefix convention.
6377 @kindex S B r (Summary)
6378 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
6379 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
6380 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
6381 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
6382 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
6383 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
6384 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
6387 @kindex S B R (Summary)
6388 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
6389 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
6390 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
6391 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
6395 @kindex S o m (Summary)
6396 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
6397 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
6398 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
6399 Forward the current article to some other person
6400 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
6401 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
6402 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6403 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6404 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6405 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6406 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6407 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6408 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
6414 @kindex S m (Summary)
6415 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
6416 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
6417 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
6418 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6419 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
6424 @kindex S i (Summary)
6425 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
6426 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
6427 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
6428 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
6430 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
6431 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
6432 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
6433 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
6434 for this to work though.
6437 @kindex S D b (Summary)
6438 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
6439 @cindex bouncing mail
6440 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
6441 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
6442 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
6443 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
6444 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
6445 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
6446 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
6447 very well fail, though.
6450 @kindex S D r (Summary)
6451 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
6452 Not to be confused with the previous command,
6453 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
6454 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
6455 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
6456 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
6457 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
6458 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
6459 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
6461 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
6462 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
6463 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
6464 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
6465 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
6467 This command understands the process/prefix convention
6468 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6471 @kindex S D e (Summary)
6472 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
6474 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
6475 if it were a new message before resending.
6478 @kindex S O m (Summary)
6479 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
6480 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
6481 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
6482 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6485 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
6486 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
6487 @cindex crossposting
6488 @cindex excessive crossposting
6489 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
6490 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
6492 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
6493 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
6494 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
6495 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
6496 command understands the process/prefix convention
6497 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
6501 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6502 Manual}, for more information.
6505 @node Summary Post Commands
6506 @subsection Summary Post Commands
6508 @cindex composing news
6510 Commands for posting a news article:
6516 @kindex S p (Summary)
6517 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
6518 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
6519 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
6520 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
6521 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
6526 @kindex S f (Summary)
6527 @findex gnus-summary-followup
6528 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
6529 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
6533 @kindex S F (Summary)
6535 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
6536 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
6537 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
6538 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
6539 process/prefix convention.
6542 @kindex S n (Summary)
6543 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
6544 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6545 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
6548 @kindex S N (Summary)
6549 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
6550 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
6551 message through mail and include the original message
6552 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
6553 the process/prefix convention.
6556 @kindex S o p (Summary)
6557 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
6558 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
6559 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
6560 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
6561 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
6562 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
6563 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
6564 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
6565 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
6566 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
6567 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
6568 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
6571 @kindex S O p (Summary)
6572 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
6574 @cindex making digests
6575 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
6576 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
6577 process/prefix convention.
6580 @kindex S u (Summary)
6581 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
6582 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
6583 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
6584 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
6587 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
6588 Manual}, for more information.
6591 @node Summary Message Commands
6592 @subsection Summary Message Commands
6596 @kindex S y (Summary)
6597 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
6598 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
6599 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
6600 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
6601 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6606 @node Canceling and Superseding
6607 @subsection Canceling Articles
6608 @cindex canceling articles
6609 @cindex superseding articles
6611 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
6612 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
6614 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
6616 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
6618 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
6619 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
6620 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
6621 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
6622 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
6623 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6625 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
6626 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
6629 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
6630 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
6631 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
6633 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
6634 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
6635 message, Message Manual}).
6637 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
6638 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
6639 your original article.
6641 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
6643 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
6644 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
6645 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
6648 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
6649 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
6650 have posted almost the same article twice.
6652 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
6653 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
6654 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
6655 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
6656 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
6657 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
6658 header by substituting one of those words for the word
6659 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
6660 you would do normally. The previous article will be
6661 canceled/superseded.
6663 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
6665 @node Delayed Articles
6666 @section Delayed Articles
6667 @cindex delayed sending
6668 @cindex send delayed
6670 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
6671 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
6672 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
6673 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
6676 (gnus-delay-initialize)
6679 @findex gnus-delay-article
6680 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
6681 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
6682 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
6683 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
6687 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
6688 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
6689 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
6690 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
6693 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
6694 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
6695 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
6698 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
6699 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
6700 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
6701 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
6702 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
6703 that means a time tomorrow.
6706 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
6707 couple of variables:
6710 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
6711 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
6712 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
6713 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
6715 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
6716 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
6717 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
6718 formats described above.
6720 @item gnus-delay-group
6721 @vindex gnus-delay-group
6722 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
6723 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
6724 value is @code{"delayed"}.
6726 @item gnus-delay-header
6727 @vindex gnus-delay-header
6728 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
6729 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
6730 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
6733 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
6734 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
6735 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
6736 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
6737 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
6739 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
6740 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
6741 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
6742 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
6743 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
6744 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
6745 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
6748 @item gnus-delay-initialize
6749 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
6750 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
6751 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
6752 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
6753 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
6754 argument is ignored.
6756 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
6757 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
6758 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
6761 When delaying an article with @kbd{C-c C-j}, Message mode will
6762 automatically add a @code{"Date"} header with the current time. In
6763 many cases you probably want the @code{"Date"} header to reflect the
6764 time the message is sent instead. To do this, you have to delete
6765 @code{Date} from @code{message-draft-headers}.
6768 @node Marking Articles
6769 @section Marking Articles
6770 @cindex article marking
6771 @cindex article ticking
6774 There are several marks you can set on an article.
6776 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
6777 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
6778 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
6780 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
6783 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
6787 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
6788 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
6789 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
6790 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
6791 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
6792 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
6796 @node Unread Articles
6797 @subsection Unread Articles
6799 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6804 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6805 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6807 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6808 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6809 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6810 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6811 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6812 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6813 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6816 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6817 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6819 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6820 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6821 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6822 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6826 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6827 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6829 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6834 @subsection Read Articles
6835 @cindex expirable mark
6837 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6842 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6843 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6844 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6847 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6848 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6851 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6852 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6853 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6856 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6857 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6860 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6861 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6864 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6865 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6868 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6869 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6872 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6873 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6876 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
6877 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
6880 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6881 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6885 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6886 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6887 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6891 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6892 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6894 One more special mark, though:
6898 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6899 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6901 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6902 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6903 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6904 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6910 @subsection Other Marks
6911 @cindex process mark
6914 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6920 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6921 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6922 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6923 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6924 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6927 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6928 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6929 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6930 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6933 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6934 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6935 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6938 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6939 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6940 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6943 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6944 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6945 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6946 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6949 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6950 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6951 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6952 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6953 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6954 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6957 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6958 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6959 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6960 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6963 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6964 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6965 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6966 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6967 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6971 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6972 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6973 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6974 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6975 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6976 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6979 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6980 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6981 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6982 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6983 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6984 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6988 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6989 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6990 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6991 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6992 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6995 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6996 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6997 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6998 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6999 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
7000 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
7004 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
7005 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
7006 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
7008 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
7009 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
7010 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
7014 @subsection Setting Marks
7015 @cindex setting marks
7017 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
7022 @kindex M c (Summary)
7023 @kindex M-u (Summary)
7024 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
7025 @cindex mark as unread
7026 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
7027 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
7033 @kindex M t (Summary)
7034 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
7035 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
7036 @xref{Article Caching}.
7041 @kindex M ? (Summary)
7042 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
7043 Mark the current article as dormant
7044 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
7048 @kindex M d (Summary)
7050 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
7051 Mark the current article as read
7052 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
7056 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
7057 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
7058 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
7063 @kindex M k (Summary)
7064 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
7065 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
7066 and then select the next unread article
7067 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
7071 @kindex M K (Summary)
7072 @kindex C-k (Summary)
7073 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
7074 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
7075 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
7078 @kindex M C (Summary)
7079 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
7080 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
7081 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
7084 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
7085 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
7086 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
7087 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
7090 @kindex M H (Summary)
7091 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
7092 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
7093 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
7096 @kindex M h (Summary)
7097 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
7098 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
7099 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
7102 @kindex C-w (Summary)
7103 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
7104 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
7105 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
7108 @kindex M V k (Summary)
7109 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
7110 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
7111 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
7115 @kindex M e (Summary)
7117 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
7118 Mark the current article as expirable
7119 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
7122 @kindex M b (Summary)
7123 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
7124 Set a bookmark in the current article
7125 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
7128 @kindex M B (Summary)
7129 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
7130 Remove the bookmark from the current article
7131 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
7134 @kindex M V c (Summary)
7135 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
7136 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
7137 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7140 @kindex M V u (Summary)
7141 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
7142 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
7143 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
7146 @kindex M V m (Summary)
7147 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
7148 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
7149 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
7150 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
7153 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
7154 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
7155 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
7156 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
7157 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
7158 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
7159 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
7160 The default is @code{t}.
7163 @node Generic Marking Commands
7164 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
7166 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
7167 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
7168 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
7169 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
7170 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
7173 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
7174 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
7177 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
7178 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
7179 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
7180 to list in this manual.
7182 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
7183 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
7184 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
7185 article, you could say something like:
7189 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
7190 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7191 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
7199 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
7200 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
7204 @node Setting Process Marks
7205 @subsection Setting Process Marks
7206 @cindex setting process marks
7208 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
7209 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
7210 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
7211 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
7212 articles into the cache. For more information,
7213 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
7220 @kindex M P p (Summary)
7221 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
7222 Mark the current article with the process mark
7223 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
7224 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
7228 @kindex M P u (Summary)
7229 @kindex M-# (Summary)
7230 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
7231 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
7234 @kindex M P U (Summary)
7235 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
7236 Remove the process mark from all articles
7237 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
7240 @kindex M P i (Summary)
7241 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
7242 Invert the list of process marked articles
7243 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
7246 @kindex M P R (Summary)
7247 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
7248 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7249 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
7252 @kindex M P G (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
7254 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
7255 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
7258 @kindex M P r (Summary)
7259 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
7260 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
7263 @kindex M P g (Summary)
7264 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
7265 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
7268 @kindex M P t (Summary)
7269 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7270 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7271 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7274 @kindex M P T (Summary)
7275 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7276 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
7277 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7280 @kindex M P v (Summary)
7281 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
7282 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
7283 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
7286 @kindex M P s (Summary)
7287 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
7288 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
7291 @kindex M P S (Summary)
7292 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
7293 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
7294 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
7297 @kindex M P a (Summary)
7298 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
7299 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
7302 @kindex M P b (Summary)
7303 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
7304 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
7305 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
7308 @kindex M P k (Summary)
7309 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
7310 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
7311 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
7314 @kindex M P y (Summary)
7315 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
7316 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
7317 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
7320 @kindex M P w (Summary)
7321 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
7322 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
7323 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
7327 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
7328 set process marks based on article body contents.
7335 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
7336 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
7337 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
7340 Limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched from
7341 the servers. These commands don't query the server for additional
7348 @kindex / / (Summary)
7349 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
7350 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
7351 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
7355 @kindex / a (Summary)
7356 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
7357 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
7358 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
7362 @kindex / R (Summary)
7363 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
7364 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
7365 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
7369 @kindex / A (Summary)
7370 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
7371 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
7372 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
7373 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
7376 @kindex / S (Summary)
7377 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
7378 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
7379 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
7380 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
7383 @kindex / x (Summary)
7384 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
7385 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
7386 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
7387 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
7392 @kindex / u (Summary)
7394 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
7395 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
7396 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
7397 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
7398 dormant articles will also be excluded.
7401 @kindex / m (Summary)
7402 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
7403 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
7404 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
7407 @kindex / t (Summary)
7408 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
7409 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
7410 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
7411 articles younger than that number of days.
7414 @kindex / n (Summary)
7415 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
7416 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
7417 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
7418 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
7421 @kindex / w (Summary)
7422 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
7423 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
7424 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
7428 @kindex / . (Summary)
7429 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
7430 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
7431 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
7434 @kindex / v (Summary)
7435 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
7436 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
7437 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
7440 @kindex / p (Summary)
7441 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
7442 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
7443 group parameter predicate
7444 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
7445 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
7448 @kindex / r (Summary)
7449 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
7450 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
7451 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
7456 @kindex M S (Summary)
7457 @kindex / E (Summary)
7458 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
7459 Include all expunged articles in the limit
7460 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
7463 @kindex / D (Summary)
7464 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
7465 Include all dormant articles in the limit
7466 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
7469 @kindex / * (Summary)
7470 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
7471 Include all cached articles in the limit
7472 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
7475 @kindex / d (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
7477 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
7478 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
7481 @kindex / M (Summary)
7482 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
7483 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
7486 @kindex / T (Summary)
7487 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
7488 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
7491 @kindex / c (Summary)
7492 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
7493 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
7494 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
7497 @kindex / C (Summary)
7498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
7499 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
7500 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
7501 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
7504 @kindex / b (Summary)
7505 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
7506 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
7507 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
7508 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
7509 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
7512 @kindex / h (Summary)
7513 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
7514 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
7515 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
7520 The following commands aren't limiting commands, but use the @kbd{/}
7525 @kindex / N (Summary)
7526 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
7527 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
7528 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
7531 @kindex / o (Summary)
7532 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
7533 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
7534 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
7542 @cindex article threading
7544 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
7545 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
7546 hierarchical fashion.
7548 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
7549 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
7550 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
7551 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
7552 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
7553 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
7554 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
7556 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
7560 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
7563 A tree-like article structure.
7566 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
7569 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
7570 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
7571 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
7572 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
7573 called loose threads.
7575 @item thread gathering
7576 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
7578 @item sparse threads
7579 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
7580 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
7586 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
7587 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
7591 @node Customizing Threading
7592 @subsection Customizing Threading
7593 @cindex customizing threading
7596 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
7597 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
7598 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
7599 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
7604 @subsubsection Loose Threads
7607 @cindex loose threads
7610 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
7611 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
7612 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
7613 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
7614 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
7615 read or killed the root in a previous session.
7617 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
7618 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
7619 There are four possible values:
7623 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
7624 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
7625 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
7626 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
7627 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
7632 @cindex adopting articles
7637 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
7638 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
7639 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
7640 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
7643 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
7644 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
7645 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
7646 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
7647 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
7648 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
7649 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
7650 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7651 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
7652 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
7655 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
7656 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
7657 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
7661 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
7662 display them after one another.
7665 Don't gather loose threads.
7668 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7669 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
7670 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
7671 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
7672 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
7673 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
7674 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
7675 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
7676 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
7677 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
7678 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
7680 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
7681 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
7682 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
7685 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7686 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
7687 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
7688 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
7689 simplification is used.
7691 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7692 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7693 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
7694 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
7696 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
7698 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
7704 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
7705 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
7706 "answer" "reference" "announce"
7707 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
7712 (mapconcat 'identity
7713 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
7715 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
7718 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
7721 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7722 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
7723 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
7724 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
7725 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
7726 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
7728 Useful functions to put in this list include:
7731 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
7732 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
7733 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
7735 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7736 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
7739 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
7740 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
7741 Remove excessive whitespace.
7743 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7744 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
7745 Remove all whitespace.
7748 You may also write your own functions, of course.
7751 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7752 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
7753 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
7754 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
7755 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
7756 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
7757 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
7758 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
7760 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7761 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7762 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
7763 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
7764 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
7765 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
7766 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
7767 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
7768 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
7772 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7773 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
7774 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
7775 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
7777 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7778 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
7779 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
7782 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
7786 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
7787 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
7793 @node Filling In Threads
7794 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
7797 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
7798 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
7799 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
7800 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
7801 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
7802 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
7803 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
7804 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
7805 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
7806 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
7807 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
7808 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7811 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7812 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7813 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7815 The server has to support @acronym{NOV} for any of this to work.
7817 @cindex Gmane, gnus-fetch-old-headers
7818 This feature can seriously impact performance it ignores all locally
7819 cached header entries. Setting it to @code{t} for groups for a server
7820 that doesn't expire articles (such as news.gmane.org), leads to very
7821 slow summary generation.
7823 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7824 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7825 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7828 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7829 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7830 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7831 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7832 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7833 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7834 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7835 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7836 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7837 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7838 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7839 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7840 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7841 @code{nil} by default.
7843 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7844 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7845 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7846 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7847 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7848 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7849 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
7851 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7852 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7853 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7858 @node More Threading
7859 @subsubsection More Threading
7862 @item gnus-show-threads
7863 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7864 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7865 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7866 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7867 slower and more awkward.
7869 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7870 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7871 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7874 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7875 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7876 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7881 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7882 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7883 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7886 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7887 unread, but you get my drift.)
7890 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7891 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7892 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7893 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7894 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7895 threads are expunged.
7897 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7898 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7899 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7902 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7903 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7904 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7905 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7906 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7907 result in a new thread.
7909 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7910 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7911 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7914 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7915 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7916 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7917 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7918 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7919 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7920 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7921 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7922 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7923 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7924 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7929 @node Low-Level Threading
7930 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7934 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7935 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7936 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7938 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7939 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7940 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7941 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7942 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7943 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7944 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7945 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7946 meaningful. Here's one example:
7949 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7951 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7952 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7954 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7956 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7963 @node Thread Commands
7964 @subsection Thread Commands
7965 @cindex thread commands
7971 @kindex T k (Summary)
7972 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7973 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7974 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7975 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7976 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7981 @kindex T l (Summary)
7982 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7983 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7984 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7985 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7988 @kindex T i (Summary)
7989 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7990 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7991 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7994 @kindex T # (Summary)
7995 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7996 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7997 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
8000 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
8002 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
8003 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
8006 @kindex T T (Summary)
8007 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
8008 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
8011 @kindex T s (Summary)
8012 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
8013 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
8014 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
8017 @kindex T h (Summary)
8018 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
8019 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
8022 @kindex T S (Summary)
8023 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
8024 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
8027 @kindex T H (Summary)
8028 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
8029 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
8032 @kindex T t (Summary)
8033 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
8034 Re-thread the current article's thread
8035 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
8036 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
8039 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
8040 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
8041 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
8042 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
8045 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
8046 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
8047 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
8048 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
8052 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
8053 understand the numeric prefix.
8058 @kindex T n (Summary)
8060 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
8062 @kindex M-down (Summary)
8063 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
8064 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
8067 @kindex T p (Summary)
8069 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
8071 @kindex M-up (Summary)
8072 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
8073 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
8076 @kindex T d (Summary)
8077 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
8078 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
8081 @kindex T u (Summary)
8082 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
8083 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
8086 @kindex T o (Summary)
8087 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
8088 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
8091 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
8092 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
8093 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
8094 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
8095 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
8096 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
8097 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
8098 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
8099 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
8100 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
8101 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
8102 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
8106 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
8107 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
8109 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
8110 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
8111 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
8112 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8113 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
8114 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
8115 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8116 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
8117 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
8118 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
8119 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
8120 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
8121 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
8122 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
8123 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
8125 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
8126 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
8127 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
8128 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
8129 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
8130 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
8131 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
8132 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
8133 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
8134 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
8136 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
8137 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
8138 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
8140 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
8141 last function in the list. You should probably always include
8142 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
8143 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
8144 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
8145 ascending article order.
8147 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
8148 by number, you could do something like:
8151 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8152 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
8153 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
8154 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
8157 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
8158 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
8159 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
8160 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
8161 which the articles arrived.
8163 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
8167 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
8168 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
8169 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
8172 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
8173 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
8174 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
8175 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
8178 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
8179 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
8180 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-date
8181 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
8182 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
8183 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
8184 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
8185 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
8186 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-most-recent-number
8187 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
8188 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
8189 variable. It is very similar to the
8190 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
8191 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
8192 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
8193 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
8194 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
8195 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
8196 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
8198 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
8202 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
8203 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
8204 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
8207 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
8208 @xref{Group Parameters}.
8211 @node Asynchronous Fetching
8212 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
8213 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
8214 @cindex article pre-fetch
8217 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
8218 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
8219 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
8220 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
8221 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
8223 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
8224 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
8226 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
8227 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
8228 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
8229 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
8230 connection is blocked.
8232 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
8233 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
8234 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
8235 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
8237 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
8238 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
8239 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
8240 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
8243 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
8246 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
8247 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
8248 happen automatically.
8250 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
8251 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
8252 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
8253 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
8254 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
8255 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
8256 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
8258 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
8259 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
8260 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
8261 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
8262 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
8263 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
8264 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
8265 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
8266 article data structure as the only parameter.
8268 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
8269 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
8272 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
8273 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
8274 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
8275 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
8278 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
8281 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
8282 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
8283 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
8285 @vindex gnus-async-post-fetch-function
8286 @findex gnus-html-prefetch-images
8287 After an article has been prefetched, this
8288 @code{gnus-async-post-fetch-function} will be called. The buffer will
8289 be narrowed to the region of the article that was fetched. A useful
8290 value would be @code{gnus-html-prefetch-images}, which will prefetch
8291 and store images referenced in the article, so that you don't have to
8292 wait for them to be fetched when you read the article. This is useful
8293 for @acronym{HTML} messages that have external images.
8295 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
8296 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
8297 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
8298 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
8302 Remove articles when they are read.
8305 Remove articles when exiting the group.
8308 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
8310 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
8311 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
8312 @c from the next group.
8315 @node Article Caching
8316 @section Article Caching
8317 @cindex article caching
8320 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
8321 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
8322 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
8323 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
8324 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
8326 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
8328 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8329 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
8330 @vindex gnus-use-cache
8331 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
8332 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
8333 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
8334 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
8335 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
8337 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
8338 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
8339 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
8340 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
8341 as dormant, and don't worry.
8343 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
8345 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
8346 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
8347 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
8348 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
8349 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
8350 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
8351 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
8352 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
8353 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
8354 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
8356 @findex gnus-jog-cache
8357 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
8358 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
8359 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
8360 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
8361 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
8362 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
8363 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
8364 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
8365 not then be downloaded by this command.
8367 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
8368 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
8369 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
8370 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
8371 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
8372 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
8374 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
8375 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
8376 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
8377 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
8378 variables, the group is not cached.
8380 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
8381 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
8382 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
8383 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
8384 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
8385 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
8386 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
8387 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
8388 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
8391 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
8392 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
8393 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
8394 where, isn't that cool?
8396 @node Persistent Articles
8397 @section Persistent Articles
8398 @cindex persistent articles
8400 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
8401 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
8402 useful in my opinion.
8404 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
8405 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
8406 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
8407 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
8408 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
8409 the expiry going on at the news server.
8411 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
8412 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
8413 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
8419 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
8420 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
8423 @kindex M-* (Summary)
8424 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
8425 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
8426 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
8430 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
8432 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
8433 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
8434 interested in persistent articles:
8437 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
8440 @node Sticky Articles
8441 @section Sticky Articles
8442 @cindex sticky articles
8444 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
8445 according to the value of the variable
8446 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
8447 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
8448 has its own article buffer.
8450 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
8451 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
8452 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
8453 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
8455 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
8456 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
8457 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
8461 @kindex A S (Summary)
8462 @findex gnus-sticky-article
8463 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
8464 name for this sticky article buffer.
8467 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
8473 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
8477 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
8478 Kills this sticky article buffer.
8481 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
8483 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
8484 Kill all sticky article buffers.
8485 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
8488 @node Article Backlog
8489 @section Article Backlog
8491 @cindex article backlog
8493 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
8494 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
8495 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
8496 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
8497 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
8498 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
8499 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
8500 increase memory usage some.
8502 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
8503 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
8504 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
8505 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
8506 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
8507 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
8508 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
8510 The default value is 20.
8513 @node Saving Articles
8514 @section Saving Articles
8515 @cindex saving articles
8517 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
8518 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
8519 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
8520 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
8521 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
8523 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
8524 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
8525 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
8527 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
8528 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
8529 unwanted headers before saving the article.
8531 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
8532 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
8533 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
8534 deleted before saving.
8540 @kindex O o (Summary)
8542 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
8543 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
8544 Save the current article using the default article saver
8545 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
8548 @kindex O m (Summary)
8549 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
8550 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
8551 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
8554 @kindex O r (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
8556 Save the current article in Rmail format
8557 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}). This is mbox since Emacs 23,
8558 Babyl in older versions.
8561 @kindex O f (Summary)
8562 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
8563 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
8564 Save the current article in plain file format
8565 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
8568 @kindex O F (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
8570 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
8571 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
8574 @kindex O b (Summary)
8575 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
8576 Save the current article body in plain file format
8577 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
8580 @kindex O h (Summary)
8581 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
8582 Save the current article in mh folder format
8583 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
8586 @kindex O v (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
8588 Save the current article in a VM folder
8589 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
8593 @kindex O p (Summary)
8595 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
8596 @vindex gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command
8597 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
8598 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
8599 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
8600 complete headers in the piped output. The symbolic prefix @code{r} is
8601 special; it lets this command pipe a raw article including all headers.
8602 The @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} variable can be set
8603 to a string containing the default command and options (default
8607 @kindex O P (Summary)
8608 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
8609 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
8610 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
8611 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
8612 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
8613 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
8614 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
8618 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
8619 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
8620 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
8621 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
8622 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
8623 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
8624 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
8625 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
8626 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
8627 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
8628 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
8629 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
8633 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
8634 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
8635 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
8636 functions below, or you can create your own.
8640 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8641 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
8642 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
8643 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8644 This is the default format, that used by the Rmail package. Since Emacs
8645 23, Rmail uses standard mbox format. Before this, it used the
8646 @dfn{Babyl} format. Accordingly, this command writes mbox format since
8647 Emacs 23, unless appending to an existing Babyl file. In older versions
8648 of Emacs, it always uses Babyl format. Uses the function in the
8649 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8650 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8652 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8653 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
8654 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
8655 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
8656 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8657 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
8659 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
8660 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
8661 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
8662 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8663 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
8664 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8665 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8667 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
8668 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
8669 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8670 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8671 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8672 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8674 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8675 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
8676 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
8677 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8678 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8680 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8681 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
8682 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
8683 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
8684 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
8685 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
8687 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8688 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
8689 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
8690 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
8691 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
8694 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
8695 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
8696 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
8697 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
8698 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
8700 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8701 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
8702 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
8703 reader to use this setting.
8705 @item gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8706 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-pipe
8707 Pipe the article to a shell command. This function takes optional two
8708 arguments COMMAND and RAW. Valid values for COMMAND include:
8712 The executable command name and possibly arguments.
8714 You will be prompted for the command in the minibuffer.
8715 @item the symbol @code{default}@*
8716 It will be replaced with the command which the variable
8717 @code{gnus-summary-pipe-output-default-command} holds or the command
8718 last used for saving.
8721 Non-@code{nil} value for RAW overrides @code{:decode} and
8722 @code{:headers} properties (see below) and the raw article including all
8723 headers will be piped.
8726 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
8730 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
8731 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
8732 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
8733 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file},
8734 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}, and
8735 @code{gnus-summary-save-in-pipe}.
8738 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
8739 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
8740 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
8741 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
8742 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
8743 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
8746 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
8747 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
8748 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
8749 headers should be saved.
8752 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
8753 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
8754 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
8755 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
8758 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
8759 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
8760 available functions that generate names:
8764 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
8765 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
8766 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8768 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
8769 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
8770 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
8772 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
8773 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
8774 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8776 @item gnus-plain-save-name
8777 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
8778 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
8780 @item gnus-sender-save-name
8781 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
8782 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
8785 @vindex gnus-split-methods
8786 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
8787 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
8788 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
8789 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
8793 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
8794 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
8795 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
8796 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
8799 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
8800 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
8801 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
8802 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
8803 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
8804 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
8805 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
8806 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
8807 called returns a string or a list of strings.
8809 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
8810 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
8811 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
8812 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
8814 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
8815 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
8816 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
8819 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
8820 lots of mail groups called things like
8821 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
8822 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
8823 following will do just that:
8826 (defun my-save-name (group)
8827 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
8828 (substring group (match-end 0))))
8830 (setq gnus-split-methods
8831 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
8836 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
8837 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
8838 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
8839 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
8840 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
8841 all the files in the top level directory
8842 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
8843 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
8844 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
8845 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
8847 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
8848 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
8849 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
8850 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
8851 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
8854 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
8858 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
8859 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
8860 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8863 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8864 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8865 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8866 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8869 @node Decoding Articles
8870 @section Decoding Articles
8871 @cindex decoding articles
8873 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8874 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8877 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8878 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8879 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8880 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8881 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8882 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8886 @cindex article series
8887 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8888 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8889 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8890 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8891 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8893 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8894 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8895 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8897 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8898 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8899 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8901 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8902 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8903 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8906 @node Uuencoded Articles
8907 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8909 @cindex uuencoded articles
8914 @kindex X u (Summary)
8915 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8916 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8917 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8920 @kindex X U (Summary)
8921 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8922 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8923 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8926 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8927 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8928 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8931 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8932 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8933 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8934 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8938 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8939 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8940 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8941 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8942 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8944 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8945 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8946 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8947 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8950 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8951 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8952 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8953 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8954 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8955 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8959 @node Shell Archives
8960 @subsection Shell Archives
8962 @cindex shell archives
8963 @cindex shared articles
8965 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8966 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8967 some commands to deal with these:
8972 @kindex X s (Summary)
8973 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8974 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8977 @kindex X S (Summary)
8978 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8979 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8982 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8983 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8984 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8987 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8988 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8989 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8990 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8994 @node PostScript Files
8995 @subsection PostScript Files
9001 @kindex X p (Summary)
9002 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
9003 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
9006 @kindex X P (Summary)
9007 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
9008 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
9009 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
9012 @kindex X v p (Summary)
9013 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
9014 View the current PostScript series
9015 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
9018 @kindex X v P (Summary)
9019 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
9020 View and save the current PostScript series
9021 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
9026 @subsection Other Files
9030 @kindex X o (Summary)
9031 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
9032 Save the current series
9033 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
9036 @kindex X b (Summary)
9037 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
9038 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
9039 doesn't really work yet.
9042 @kindex X Y (Summary)
9043 @findex gnus-uu-decode-yenc
9044 yEnc-decode the current series and save it (@code{gnus-uu-decode-yenc}).
9048 @node Decoding Variables
9049 @subsection Decoding Variables
9051 Adjective, not verb.
9054 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
9055 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
9056 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
9060 @node Rule Variables
9061 @subsubsection Rule Variables
9062 @cindex rule variables
9064 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
9065 variables are of the form
9068 (list '(regexp1 command2)
9075 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9076 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9078 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
9079 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
9082 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
9083 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
9086 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9087 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
9088 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
9089 user and default view rules.
9091 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9092 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
9093 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
9098 @node Other Decode Variables
9099 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
9102 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9104 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
9105 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
9106 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
9107 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
9108 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
9112 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
9113 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
9116 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
9117 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
9118 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
9121 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9122 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
9123 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
9124 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
9125 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
9128 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9129 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
9130 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
9132 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9133 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
9134 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
9135 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
9136 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
9139 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9140 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
9141 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
9143 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9144 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
9145 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
9146 looking for files to display.
9148 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
9149 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
9150 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
9153 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9154 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
9155 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
9158 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9159 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
9160 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
9163 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9164 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
9165 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
9168 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9169 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
9170 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
9171 decoded articles as unread.
9173 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9174 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
9175 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
9176 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
9178 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9179 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
9180 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
9182 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9183 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
9185 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
9186 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
9187 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
9188 @code{metamail} for viewing.
9190 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9191 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
9192 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
9193 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
9194 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
9195 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
9196 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
9197 simply dropped them.
9202 @node Uuencoding and Posting
9203 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
9207 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9208 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
9209 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
9210 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
9211 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
9212 for you when you post the article.
9214 @item gnus-uu-post-length
9215 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
9216 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
9217 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
9219 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
9220 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
9221 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
9222 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
9223 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
9224 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
9225 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
9227 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9228 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
9229 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
9230 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
9231 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
9232 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
9233 Default is @code{t}.
9239 @subsection Viewing Files
9240 @cindex viewing files
9241 @cindex pseudo-articles
9243 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
9244 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
9245 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
9246 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
9247 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
9248 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
9249 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
9251 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
9252 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
9253 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
9254 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
9256 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
9257 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
9258 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
9260 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
9261 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
9262 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
9263 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
9264 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
9266 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
9267 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
9268 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
9269 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
9270 a list of parameters to that command.
9272 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
9273 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
9274 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
9276 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
9277 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
9278 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
9281 @node Article Treatment
9282 @section Article Treatment
9284 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
9285 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
9286 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
9287 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
9288 these articles easier.
9291 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
9292 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
9293 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
9294 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
9295 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
9296 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
9297 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
9298 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
9299 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
9300 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
9301 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
9305 @node Article Highlighting
9306 @subsection Article Highlighting
9307 @cindex highlighting
9309 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
9310 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
9315 @kindex W H a (Summary)
9316 @findex gnus-article-highlight
9317 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
9318 Do much highlighting of the current article
9319 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
9320 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
9323 @kindex W H h (Summary)
9324 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
9325 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
9326 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
9327 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
9328 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
9329 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
9330 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
9331 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
9332 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
9333 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
9334 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
9337 @kindex W H c (Summary)
9338 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
9339 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
9341 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
9344 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9346 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
9347 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
9348 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
9350 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
9351 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
9352 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
9354 @item gnus-cite-face-list
9355 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
9356 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
9357 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
9358 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
9359 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
9361 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
9362 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
9363 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
9365 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9366 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
9367 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
9369 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9370 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
9371 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
9372 that it's a citation.
9374 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9375 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
9376 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
9378 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9379 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
9380 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
9382 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
9383 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
9384 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
9385 cited text belonging to the attribution.
9387 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9388 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
9389 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
9390 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
9391 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
9398 @kindex W H s (Summary)
9399 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9400 @vindex gnus-signature-face
9401 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
9402 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
9403 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
9404 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
9405 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
9410 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
9413 @node Article Fontisizing
9414 @subsection Article Fontisizing
9416 @cindex article emphasis
9418 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
9419 @kindex W e (Summary)
9420 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
9421 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
9422 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
9423 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
9425 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
9426 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
9427 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
9428 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
9429 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
9430 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
9431 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
9432 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
9436 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
9437 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
9438 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
9447 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
9448 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
9449 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
9450 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
9451 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
9452 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
9453 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
9454 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
9455 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
9456 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
9457 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
9458 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
9459 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
9461 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
9462 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
9463 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
9467 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
9470 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
9472 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
9473 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
9474 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
9475 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
9477 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
9480 @node Article Hiding
9481 @subsection Article Hiding
9482 @cindex article hiding
9484 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
9485 too much cruft in most articles.
9490 @kindex W W a (Summary)
9491 @findex gnus-article-hide
9492 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
9493 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
9494 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
9497 @kindex W W h (Summary)
9498 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
9499 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
9503 @kindex W W b (Summary)
9504 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9505 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
9506 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
9509 @kindex W W s (Summary)
9510 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
9511 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
9515 @kindex W W l (Summary)
9516 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
9517 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9518 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
9519 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
9520 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
9521 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
9522 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
9526 @item gnus-list-identifiers
9527 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
9528 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
9529 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
9534 @kindex W W P (Summary)
9535 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
9536 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
9537 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
9540 @kindex W W B (Summary)
9541 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
9542 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
9543 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9546 @cindex stripping advertisements
9547 @cindex advertisements
9548 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
9549 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
9550 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
9551 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
9552 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
9553 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
9554 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
9555 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
9556 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
9557 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
9560 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
9561 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
9562 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
9566 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9567 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
9568 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
9569 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
9570 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
9571 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
9572 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
9573 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
9574 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
9575 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
9576 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
9579 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
9580 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
9586 @kindex W W c (Summary)
9587 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
9588 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
9589 customizing the hiding:
9593 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9594 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9595 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
9596 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
9597 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
9598 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
9599 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
9604 Starting point of the hidden text.
9606 Ending point of the hidden text.
9608 Number of characters in the hidden region.
9610 Number of lines of hidden text.
9613 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
9614 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
9615 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
9616 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
9617 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
9622 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
9623 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
9625 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
9626 following two variables:
9629 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9630 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
9631 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
9632 50), hide the cited text.
9634 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9635 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
9636 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
9641 @kindex W W C (Summary)
9642 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
9643 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
9644 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
9645 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
9646 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9650 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
9651 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
9652 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
9654 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
9655 citation customization.
9657 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
9661 @node Article Washing
9662 @subsection Article Washing
9664 @cindex article washing
9666 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
9667 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
9669 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
9670 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
9673 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
9674 articles by default.
9679 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
9680 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
9684 Force redisplaying of the current article
9685 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
9686 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
9687 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
9688 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
9691 @kindex W l (Summary)
9692 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
9693 Remove page breaks from the current article
9694 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
9698 @kindex W r (Summary)
9699 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
9700 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
9701 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
9702 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
9703 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
9704 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
9706 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
9707 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
9708 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
9709 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
9712 @kindex W m (Summary)
9713 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
9714 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
9717 @kindex W i (Summary)
9718 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
9719 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
9720 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
9721 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
9722 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
9723 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
9728 @kindex W t (Summary)
9730 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
9731 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
9732 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
9735 @kindex W v (Summary)
9736 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
9737 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
9738 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
9741 @kindex W o (Summary)
9742 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
9743 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
9746 @kindex W d (Summary)
9747 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
9748 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
9750 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
9752 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
9753 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
9754 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
9755 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
9758 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
9759 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
9760 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
9761 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
9764 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
9765 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
9766 @cindex Outlook Express
9767 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
9768 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
9769 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
9772 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
9773 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
9774 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
9775 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
9776 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
9777 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
9778 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
9779 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
9780 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
9781 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
9784 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
9785 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
9786 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
9787 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
9790 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
9791 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
9792 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
9793 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
9796 @kindex W w (Summary)
9797 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
9798 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
9800 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
9804 @kindex W Q (Summary)
9805 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
9806 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
9809 @kindex W C (Summary)
9810 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
9811 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
9812 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
9815 @kindex W c (Summary)
9816 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
9817 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
9818 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
9819 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
9820 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
9823 @kindex W q (Summary)
9824 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
9825 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
9826 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
9827 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
9828 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
9829 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
9830 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9831 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9832 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9835 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
9836 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
9837 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
9838 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
9839 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
9840 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9841 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
9842 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
9845 @kindex W Z (Summary)
9846 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
9847 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
9848 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
9849 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
9852 @kindex W A (Summary)
9853 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
9854 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
9855 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
9856 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
9857 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
9860 @kindex W u (Summary)
9861 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
9862 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
9863 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
9864 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
9865 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9868 @kindex W h (Summary)
9869 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9870 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9871 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9872 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9874 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9875 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9876 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9878 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9879 The default is to use the function specified by
9880 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9881 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9882 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9883 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9891 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9893 @item w3m-standalone
9894 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9897 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9900 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9903 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9908 @kindex W b (Summary)
9909 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9910 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9911 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9914 @kindex W B (Summary)
9915 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9916 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9917 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9920 @kindex W p (Summary)
9921 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9922 Verify a signed control message
9923 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9924 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9925 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9926 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9927 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9928 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9931 @kindex W s (Summary)
9932 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9933 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9934 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9935 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9938 @kindex W a (Summary)
9939 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9940 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9941 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9944 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9945 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9946 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9947 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9950 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9951 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9952 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9953 lines with a single empty line.
9954 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9957 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9958 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9959 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9960 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9963 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9964 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9965 Do all the three commands above
9966 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9969 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9970 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9971 Remove all blank lines
9972 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9975 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9976 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9977 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9978 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9981 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9982 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9983 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9984 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9988 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9991 @node Article Header
9992 @subsection Article Header
9994 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9999 @kindex W G u (Summary)
10000 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
10001 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
10004 @kindex W G n (Summary)
10005 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
10006 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
10007 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
10010 @kindex W G f (Summary)
10011 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
10012 Fold all the message headers
10013 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
10016 @kindex W E w (Summary)
10017 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
10018 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
10019 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
10024 @node Article Buttons
10025 @subsection Article Buttons
10028 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
10029 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
10030 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
10031 button on these references.
10033 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10034 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
10035 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
10036 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
10037 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
10041 @item gnus-button-alist
10042 @vindex gnus-button-alist
10043 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
10046 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10052 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
10053 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
10054 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
10055 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
10056 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
10059 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
10060 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
10061 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
10064 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
10065 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
10066 avoid false matches. Often variables named
10067 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
10068 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
10070 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
10073 This function will be called when you click on this button.
10076 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
10077 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
10081 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
10084 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
10087 @item gnus-header-button-alist
10088 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
10089 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
10090 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
10091 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
10094 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
10097 @var{header} is a regular expression.
10100 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
10103 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
10104 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
10106 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
10108 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
10109 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
10110 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
10111 default values of the variables above.
10113 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
10115 @item gnus-button-man-handler
10116 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
10117 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
10118 argument with a string naming the man page.
10120 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
10122 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10123 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
10124 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
10126 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10127 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
10128 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
10129 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
10130 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
10131 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
10132 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
10133 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
10134 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
10135 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
10136 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
10137 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10139 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10140 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
10141 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
10142 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
10143 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
10146 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10147 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
10148 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
10149 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
10151 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
10153 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
10154 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
10155 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
10156 argument, the string naming the URL.
10158 @item gnus-ctan-url
10159 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
10160 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
10161 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
10165 @item gnus-article-button-face
10166 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
10167 Face used on buttons.
10169 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
10170 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
10171 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
10175 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
10178 @node Article Button Levels
10179 @subsection Article button levels
10180 @cindex button levels
10181 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
10182 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
10183 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
10184 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
10185 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
10186 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
10187 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
10188 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
10191 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
10192 (setq gnus-parameters
10193 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
10194 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
10195 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
10200 @item gnus-button-browse-level
10201 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
10202 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
10203 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
10204 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
10205 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
10207 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
10208 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
10209 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
10210 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
10211 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
10212 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
10213 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
10214 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
10215 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
10216 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
10217 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
10218 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
10219 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
10221 @item gnus-button-man-level
10222 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
10223 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
10224 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
10226 @item gnus-button-message-level
10227 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
10228 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
10229 Related variables and functions include
10230 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
10231 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
10232 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
10233 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
10235 @item gnus-button-tex-level
10236 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
10237 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
10238 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
10239 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
10240 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
10241 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
10247 @subsection Article Date
10249 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
10250 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
10251 when the article was sent.
10256 @kindex W T u (Summary)
10257 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
10258 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
10259 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
10262 @kindex W T i (Summary)
10263 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
10265 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
10266 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
10269 @kindex W T l (Summary)
10270 @findex gnus-article-date-local
10271 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
10274 @kindex W T p (Summary)
10275 @findex gnus-article-date-english
10276 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
10277 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
10280 @kindex W T s (Summary)
10281 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
10282 @findex gnus-article-date-user
10283 @findex format-time-string
10284 Display the date using a user-defined format
10285 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
10286 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
10287 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
10288 for a list of possible format specs.
10291 @kindex W T e (Summary)
10292 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
10293 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
10294 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
10295 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
10296 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
10299 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
10302 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
10303 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
10304 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
10307 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
10308 into wonderful absurdities.
10310 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
10313 (gnus-start-date-timer)
10316 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
10317 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
10321 @kindex W T o (Summary)
10322 @findex gnus-article-date-original
10323 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
10324 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
10325 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
10326 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
10327 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
10331 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
10332 preferred format automatically.
10335 @node Article Display
10336 @subsection Article Display
10341 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
10342 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
10344 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
10345 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
10347 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
10348 headers (@pxref{Face}).
10350 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
10351 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
10353 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
10354 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
10356 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
10357 they'll be removed.
10361 @kindex W D x (Summary)
10362 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
10363 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
10364 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
10367 @kindex W D d (Summary)
10368 @findex gnus-article-display-face
10369 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
10370 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
10373 @kindex W D s (Summary)
10374 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
10375 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
10378 @kindex W D f (Summary)
10379 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
10380 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
10383 @kindex W D m (Summary)
10384 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
10385 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
10386 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
10389 @kindex W D n (Summary)
10390 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
10391 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
10392 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
10395 @kindex W D D (Summary)
10396 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
10397 Remove all images from the article buffer
10398 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
10404 @node Article Signature
10405 @subsection Article Signature
10407 @cindex article signature
10409 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
10410 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
10411 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
10412 that says what is to be considered a signature is
10413 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
10414 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
10415 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
10416 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
10417 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
10420 (setq gnus-signature-separator
10421 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
10422 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
10423 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
10424 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
10425 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
10426 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
10427 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
10430 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
10433 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
10434 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
10435 signature when displaying articles.
10439 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
10442 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
10445 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
10446 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
10448 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
10449 in question is not a signature.
10452 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
10453 listed above. Here's an example:
10456 (setq gnus-signature-limit
10457 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
10460 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
10461 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
10462 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
10463 signature after all.
10466 @node Article Miscellanea
10467 @subsection Article Miscellanea
10471 @kindex A t (Summary)
10472 @findex gnus-article-babel
10473 Translate the article from one language to another
10474 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
10479 @node MIME Commands
10480 @section MIME Commands
10481 @cindex MIME decoding
10482 @cindex attachments
10483 @cindex viewing attachments
10485 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
10486 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
10491 @kindex b (Summary)
10492 @kindex K v (Summary)
10493 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
10496 @kindex K o (Summary)
10497 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
10500 @kindex K O (Summary)
10501 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
10502 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
10503 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
10506 @kindex K r (Summary)
10507 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
10510 @kindex K d (Summary)
10511 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
10515 @kindex K c (Summary)
10516 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
10519 @kindex K e (Summary)
10520 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
10523 @kindex K i (Summary)
10524 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
10527 @kindex K | (Summary)
10528 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
10531 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
10536 @kindex K H (Summary)
10537 @findex gnus-article-browse-html-article
10538 View @samp{text/html} parts of the current article with a WWW browser.
10539 Inline images embedded in a message using the @code{cid} scheme, as they
10540 are generally considered to be safe, will be processed properly. The
10541 message header is added to the beginning of every @acronym{HTML} part
10542 unless the prefix argument is given.
10544 Warning: Spammers use links to images (using the @code{http} scheme) in
10545 @acronym{HTML} articles to verify whether you have read the message. As
10546 this command passes the @acronym{HTML} content to the browser without
10547 eliminating these ``web bugs'' you should only use it for mails from
10550 If you always want to display @acronym{HTML} parts in the browser, set
10551 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} to @code{nil}.
10553 This command creates temporary files to pass @acronym{HTML} contents
10554 including images if any to the browser, and deletes them when exiting
10555 the group (if you want).
10558 @kindex K b (Summary)
10559 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
10560 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
10564 @kindex K m (Summary)
10565 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
10566 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
10567 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
10568 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
10569 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
10572 @kindex X m (Summary)
10573 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
10574 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
10575 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
10576 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10579 @kindex M-t (Summary)
10580 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
10581 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
10582 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
10585 @kindex W M w (Summary)
10586 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
10587 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
10588 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
10591 @kindex W M c (Summary)
10592 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
10593 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
10594 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
10596 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
10597 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
10598 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
10599 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
10600 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
10601 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
10604 @kindex W M v (Summary)
10605 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
10606 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
10607 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
10611 Relevant variables:
10614 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
10615 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
10616 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10617 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
10620 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
10623 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
10627 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
10628 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
10629 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
10630 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
10631 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
10632 default is @code{t}.
10634 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
10635 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
10638 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
10639 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
10640 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
10641 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
10642 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
10643 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
10644 for encoding in Gnus.
10646 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10647 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
10648 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10649 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10650 displayed or this variable is overridden by
10651 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
10652 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
10653 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
10655 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10656 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
10657 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
10658 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
10659 displayed. This variable overrides
10660 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
10661 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
10664 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
10665 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
10666 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
10668 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
10669 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
10670 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
10671 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
10672 Emacs MIME Manual}).
10674 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10675 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
10676 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
10677 default value is @code{nil}.
10679 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
10680 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
10681 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
10682 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
10683 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
10684 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
10685 save all jpegs into some directory).
10687 Here's an example function the does the latter:
10690 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
10691 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
10693 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
10694 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
10695 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
10696 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
10697 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
10700 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10701 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
10702 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
10704 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10705 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
10706 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10708 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10709 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
10710 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
10712 If displaying @samp{text/html} is discouraged, see
10713 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
10714 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
10715 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
10716 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
10718 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10719 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
10720 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
10721 overrides @code{nil} values of
10722 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
10723 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
10725 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10726 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10727 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
10728 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
10730 Ready-made functions include@*
10731 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
10732 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
10733 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
10734 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
10735 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
10736 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
10737 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
10738 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
10739 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10740 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10741 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10742 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
10744 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
10745 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
10747 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
10748 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
10749 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
10752 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
10753 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
10754 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
10755 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
10759 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
10768 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
10769 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
10770 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
10771 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
10772 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
10773 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
10774 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
10776 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
10777 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
10778 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
10779 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
10781 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
10782 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
10783 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
10784 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
10785 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
10786 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
10787 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
10788 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
10789 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
10791 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
10792 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
10793 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
10794 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
10795 quoted-printable header encoding.
10797 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
10798 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
10799 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
10803 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
10806 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
10807 means encode all charsets),
10809 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
10810 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
10811 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
10818 @cindex coding system aliases
10819 @cindex preferred charset
10821 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
10822 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
10823 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
10825 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
10827 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
10828 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
10831 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
10832 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
10835 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
10836 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
10838 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
10841 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
10844 This will almost do the right thing.
10846 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
10850 (codepage-setup 1251)
10851 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
10855 @node Article Commands
10856 @section Article Commands
10863 @kindex A P (Summary)
10864 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
10865 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
10866 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
10867 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
10868 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
10869 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
10874 @node Summary Sorting
10875 @section Summary Sorting
10876 @cindex summary sorting
10878 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
10879 can't really see why you'd want that.
10884 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10885 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
10886 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10888 @item C-c C-s C-m C-n
10889 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
10890 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number
10891 Sort by most recent article number
10892 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-number}).
10895 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10896 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10897 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10900 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10901 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10902 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10905 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10906 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10907 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10910 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10911 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10912 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10914 @item C-c C-s C-m C-d
10915 @kindex C-c C-s C-m C-d (Summary)
10916 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date
10917 Sort by most recent date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-most-recent-date}).
10920 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10921 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10922 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10925 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10926 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10927 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10930 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10931 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10932 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10935 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10936 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10937 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10940 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10941 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10942 Sort using the default sorting method
10943 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10946 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10947 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10948 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10949 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10950 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10953 If a prefix argument if given, the sort order is reversed.
10956 @node Finding the Parent
10957 @section Finding the Parent
10958 @cindex parent articles
10959 @cindex referring articles
10963 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10964 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10965 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10966 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10967 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10968 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10969 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10970 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10971 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10972 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10974 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10975 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10976 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10977 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10978 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10981 @item A R (Summary)
10982 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10983 @kindex A R (Summary)
10984 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10985 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10987 @item A T (Summary)
10988 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10989 @kindex A T (Summary)
10990 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10991 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10992 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10993 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10994 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10995 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10996 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10998 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10999 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
11000 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
11001 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
11002 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
11003 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
11005 @item M-^ (Summary)
11006 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
11007 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
11009 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
11010 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
11011 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
11012 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
11013 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
11014 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
11016 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
11017 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
11018 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
11021 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
11022 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
11023 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
11024 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
11025 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
11026 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
11029 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
11030 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
11031 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
11034 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
11035 then ask Google if that fails:
11038 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
11040 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
11043 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
11044 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
11045 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
11046 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
11047 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
11048 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
11049 not support this at all.
11052 @node Alternative Approaches
11053 @section Alternative Approaches
11055 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
11056 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
11059 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
11060 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
11064 @node Pick and Read
11065 @subsection Pick and Read
11066 @cindex pick and read
11068 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
11069 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
11070 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
11071 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
11073 @findex gnus-pick-mode
11074 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
11075 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
11076 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
11077 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
11078 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
11080 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
11085 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
11086 Pick the article or thread on the current line
11087 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11088 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
11089 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
11090 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
11091 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
11092 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
11095 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
11096 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
11097 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
11098 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
11102 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
11103 Unpick the thread or article
11104 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
11105 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
11106 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
11107 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
11108 the thread or article at that line.
11112 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
11113 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
11114 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
11115 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
11116 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
11117 will still be visible when you are reading.
11121 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
11122 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
11123 which is mapped to the same function
11124 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
11126 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
11129 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
11132 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
11133 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
11135 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
11136 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
11137 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
11139 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
11140 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
11141 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
11142 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
11143 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
11144 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
11145 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
11148 @node Binary Groups
11149 @subsection Binary Groups
11150 @cindex binary groups
11152 @findex gnus-binary-mode
11153 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
11154 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
11155 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
11156 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
11157 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
11158 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
11161 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
11162 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
11163 command, when you have turned on this mode
11164 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
11166 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
11167 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
11171 @section Tree Display
11174 @vindex gnus-use-trees
11175 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
11176 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
11177 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
11178 in the tree buffer.
11180 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
11183 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
11184 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
11185 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
11187 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11188 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
11189 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
11190 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
11191 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
11193 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
11194 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
11195 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
11196 default is @code{modeline}.
11198 @item gnus-tree-line-format
11199 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
11200 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
11201 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
11202 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
11203 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
11204 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
11210 The name of the poster.
11212 The @code{From} header.
11214 The number of the article.
11216 The opening bracket.
11218 The closing bracket.
11223 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
11225 Variables related to the display are:
11228 @item gnus-tree-brackets
11229 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
11230 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
11231 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
11233 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
11234 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
11235 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
11237 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
11239 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11240 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
11241 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
11242 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
11246 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
11247 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
11248 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
11249 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
11250 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
11251 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
11252 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
11253 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
11254 other windows displayed next to it.
11256 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
11260 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
11261 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
11264 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
11265 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
11266 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11267 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
11268 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
11269 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
11270 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
11274 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
11277 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
11287 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
11292 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
11293 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
11295 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
11297 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
11303 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
11304 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
11305 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
11308 (setq gnus-use-trees t
11309 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
11310 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
11311 (gnus-add-configuration
11315 (summary 0.75 point)
11320 @xref{Window Layout}.
11323 @node Mail Group Commands
11324 @section Mail Group Commands
11325 @cindex mail group commands
11327 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
11328 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
11330 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
11331 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11336 @kindex B e (Summary)
11337 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
11338 @cindex expiring mail
11339 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
11340 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
11341 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
11342 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
11345 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
11346 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
11347 @cindex expiring mail
11348 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
11349 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
11350 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
11351 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
11354 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
11355 @cindex deleting mail
11356 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
11357 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
11358 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
11359 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
11360 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
11363 @kindex B m (Summary)
11365 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
11366 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
11367 Move the article from one mail group to another
11368 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11369 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11372 @kindex B c (Summary)
11374 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
11375 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
11376 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
11377 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
11378 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
11381 @kindex B B (Summary)
11382 @cindex crosspost mail
11383 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
11384 Crosspost the current article to some other group
11385 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
11386 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
11387 be properly updated.
11390 @kindex B i (Summary)
11391 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
11392 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
11393 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
11394 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11397 @kindex B I (Summary)
11398 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
11399 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
11400 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
11401 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
11404 @kindex B r (Summary)
11405 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
11406 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
11407 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
11408 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
11409 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
11410 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
11411 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
11412 (which is the default).
11416 @kindex B w (Summary)
11417 @kindex e (Summary)
11418 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
11419 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
11420 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
11421 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
11422 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
11423 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
11424 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
11427 @kindex B q (Summary)
11428 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
11429 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
11430 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
11431 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
11434 @kindex B t (Summary)
11435 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
11436 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
11437 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
11440 @kindex B p (Summary)
11441 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
11442 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
11443 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
11444 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
11445 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
11446 article from your news server (or rather, from
11447 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
11448 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
11449 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
11450 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
11451 just not have arrived yet.
11454 @kindex K E (Summary)
11455 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
11456 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
11457 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
11458 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
11459 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
11463 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
11464 @cindex moving articles
11465 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
11466 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
11467 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
11468 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
11469 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
11470 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
11471 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
11474 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
11475 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
11476 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
11477 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
11481 @node Various Summary Stuff
11482 @section Various Summary Stuff
11485 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
11486 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
11487 * Summary Generation Commands::
11488 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
11492 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
11493 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
11494 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
11495 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
11496 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
11497 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
11499 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
11500 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
11501 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
11504 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
11505 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
11506 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
11508 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
11509 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
11510 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
11511 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
11512 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
11513 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
11516 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11517 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
11518 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
11519 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
11520 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
11522 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11523 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
11524 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
11527 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11528 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
11529 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
11530 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
11531 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
11532 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
11533 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
11534 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
11535 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
11536 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
11538 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11539 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
11540 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
11541 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
11542 list of articles to be selected.
11544 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
11545 the list in one particular group:
11548 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
11549 (if (string= group "some.group")
11550 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
11554 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
11555 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
11556 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
11557 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
11558 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
11561 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
11562 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
11563 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
11564 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
11565 variable will be used instead.
11567 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
11568 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
11569 buffers. For example:
11572 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
11573 '(message-use-followup-to
11574 (gnus-visible-headers .
11575 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
11578 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
11580 @vindex gnus-propagate-marks
11581 @item gnus-propagate-marks
11582 If non-@code{nil}, propagate marks to the backends for possible
11583 storing. @xref{NNTP marks}, and friends, for a more fine-grained
11589 @node Summary Group Information
11590 @subsection Summary Group Information
11595 @kindex H f (Summary)
11596 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
11597 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
11598 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
11599 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
11600 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
11601 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
11602 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
11603 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
11604 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
11607 @kindex H d (Summary)
11608 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
11609 Give a brief description of the current group
11610 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
11611 rereading the description from the server.
11614 @kindex H h (Summary)
11615 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
11616 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
11617 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
11620 @kindex H i (Summary)
11621 @findex gnus-info-find-node
11622 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
11626 @node Searching for Articles
11627 @subsection Searching for Articles
11632 @kindex M-s (Summary)
11633 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
11634 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
11635 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
11638 @kindex M-r (Summary)
11639 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
11640 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
11641 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
11644 @kindex M-S (Summary)
11645 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
11646 Repeat the previous search forwards
11647 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
11650 @kindex M-R (Summary)
11651 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
11652 Repeat the previous search backwards
11653 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
11656 @kindex & (Summary)
11657 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
11658 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
11659 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
11660 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
11661 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
11662 search backward instead.
11664 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
11665 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
11668 @kindex M-& (Summary)
11669 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
11670 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
11671 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
11674 @node Summary Generation Commands
11675 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
11680 @kindex Y g (Summary)
11681 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
11682 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
11685 @kindex Y c (Summary)
11686 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
11687 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11688 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
11691 @kindex Y d (Summary)
11692 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
11693 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11694 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
11697 @kindex Y t (Summary)
11698 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
11699 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
11700 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
11705 @node Really Various Summary Commands
11706 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
11712 @kindex C-d (Summary)
11713 @kindex A D (Summary)
11714 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
11715 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
11716 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
11717 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
11718 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
11719 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
11720 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
11721 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
11724 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
11725 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
11726 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
11731 Select the next article.
11734 Select the next unread article.
11736 @item next-noselect
11737 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
11739 @item next-unread-noselect
11740 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
11743 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
11744 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
11747 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
11748 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
11749 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
11750 several documents into one biiig group
11751 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
11752 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
11753 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
11754 command understands the process/prefix convention
11755 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
11758 @kindex C-t (Summary)
11759 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
11760 Toggle truncation of summary lines
11761 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
11762 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
11763 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
11766 @kindex = (Summary)
11767 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
11768 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
11769 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
11772 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
11773 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
11774 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11775 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
11778 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
11779 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
11780 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
11781 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
11786 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
11787 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
11788 @cindex summary exit
11789 @cindex exiting groups
11791 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
11792 group and return you to the group buffer.
11799 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
11800 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
11801 @kindex q (Summary)
11802 @findex gnus-summary-exit
11803 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
11804 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
11805 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
11806 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
11807 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
11808 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
11809 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
11810 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
11811 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
11812 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
11813 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
11817 @kindex Z E (Summary)
11818 @kindex Q (Summary)
11819 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
11820 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
11821 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
11825 @kindex Z c (Summary)
11826 @kindex c (Summary)
11827 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
11828 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
11829 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
11830 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
11833 @kindex Z C (Summary)
11834 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
11835 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
11836 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
11839 @kindex Z n (Summary)
11840 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
11841 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
11842 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
11845 @kindex Z p (Summary)
11846 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
11847 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
11848 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
11852 @kindex Z R (Summary)
11853 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
11854 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
11855 Exit this group, and then enter it again
11856 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
11857 all articles, both read and unread.
11861 @kindex Z G (Summary)
11862 @kindex M-g (Summary)
11863 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
11864 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
11865 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
11866 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
11867 articles, both read and unread.
11870 @kindex Z N (Summary)
11871 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
11872 Exit the group and go to the next group
11873 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
11876 @kindex Z P (Summary)
11877 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
11878 Exit the group and go to the previous group
11879 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
11882 @kindex Z s (Summary)
11883 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
11884 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
11885 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
11886 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
11887 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
11890 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
11891 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
11892 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
11893 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
11895 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
11896 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
11897 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
11898 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
11899 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
11900 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
11901 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
11902 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
11903 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
11904 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
11905 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
11906 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
11908 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11910 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11911 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11912 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11913 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11914 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11915 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11916 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11917 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11918 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11921 @node Crosspost Handling
11922 @section Crosspost Handling
11926 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11927 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11928 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11929 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11930 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11931 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11934 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11935 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11936 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11937 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11938 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11940 @cindex cross-posting
11942 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11943 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11944 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11945 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11946 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11947 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11948 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11949 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11950 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11951 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11952 the cross reference mechanism.
11954 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11955 @cindex overview.fmt
11956 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11957 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11958 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11959 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11960 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11961 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11964 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11965 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11966 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11970 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11973 @node Duplicate Suppression
11974 @section Duplicate Suppression
11976 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11977 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11978 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11979 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11984 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11985 is evil and not very common.
11988 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11989 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11992 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11993 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11996 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11999 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
12000 well, but these four are the most common situations.
12002 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
12003 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
12004 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
12005 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
12006 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
12007 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
12008 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
12011 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
12012 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
12013 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
12014 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
12015 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
12016 saw the article in.
12019 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
12020 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
12021 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
12023 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
12024 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
12025 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
12026 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
12027 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
12028 session are suppressed.
12030 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
12031 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
12032 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
12033 suppression list. The default is 10000.
12035 @item gnus-duplicate-file
12036 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
12037 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
12038 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
12041 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
12042 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
12043 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
12044 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
12045 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
12046 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
12047 to you to figure out, I think.
12052 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
12053 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
12054 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
12059 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
12060 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
12061 to GnuPG included with Emacs is called EasyPG (@pxref{Top, ,EasyPG,
12062 epa, EasyPG Assistant user's manual}), but PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg,
12063 PGG Manual}), Mailcrypt, and gpg.el are also supported.
12066 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
12067 or newer is recommended.
12071 The variables that control security functionality on reading/composing
12075 @item mm-verify-option
12076 @vindex mm-verify-option
12077 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
12078 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
12079 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12081 @item mm-decrypt-option
12082 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
12083 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
12084 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
12085 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
12087 @item mm-sign-option
12088 @vindex mm-sign-option
12089 Option of creating signed parts. @code{nil}, use default signing
12090 keys; @code{guided}, ask user to select signing keys from the menu.
12092 @item mm-encrypt-option
12093 @vindex mm-encrypt-option
12094 Option of creating encrypted parts. @code{nil}, use the first
12095 public-key matching the @samp{From:} header as the recipient;
12096 @code{guided}, ask user to select recipient keys from the menu.
12099 @vindex mml1991-use
12100 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12101 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but @code{pgg},
12102 @code{mailcrypt}, and @code{gpg} are also supported although
12103 deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available interface in
12107 @vindex mml2015-use
12108 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
12109 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{epg}, but
12110 @code{pgg}, @code{mailcrypt}, and @code{gpg} are also supported
12111 although deprecated. By default, Gnus uses the first available
12112 interface in this order.
12116 By default the buttons that display security information are not
12117 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
12118 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
12119 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
12120 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
12121 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
12122 how to customize these variables to always display security
12125 @cindex snarfing keys
12126 @cindex importing PGP keys
12127 @cindex PGP key ring import
12128 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
12129 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
12130 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
12131 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
12132 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
12133 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
12134 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
12135 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
12136 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
12139 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
12142 This happens to also be the default action defined in
12143 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
12145 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
12146 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
12147 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
12150 @section Mailing List
12151 @cindex mailing list
12154 @kindex A M (summary)
12155 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
12156 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
12157 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
12158 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
12161 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
12166 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
12167 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
12168 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
12171 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
12172 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
12173 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
12176 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
12177 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
12178 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
12182 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
12183 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
12184 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
12187 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
12188 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
12189 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
12192 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
12193 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
12194 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
12199 @node Article Buffer
12200 @chapter Article Buffer
12201 @cindex article buffer
12203 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
12204 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
12205 tell Gnus otherwise.
12208 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
12209 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
12210 * HTML:: Reading @acronym{HTML} messages.
12211 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
12212 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
12213 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
12217 @node Hiding Headers
12218 @section Hiding Headers
12219 @cindex hiding headers
12220 @cindex deleting headers
12222 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
12223 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
12225 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
12226 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
12227 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
12228 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
12229 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
12230 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
12231 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
12232 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
12233 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
12235 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
12239 @item gnus-visible-headers
12240 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
12241 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
12242 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
12243 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
12245 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
12246 the article and the subject, you'd say:
12249 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
12252 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12255 @item gnus-ignored-headers
12256 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
12257 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
12258 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
12259 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
12260 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
12262 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
12263 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
12266 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
12269 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
12272 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
12273 variable will have no effect.
12277 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
12278 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
12279 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
12280 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
12281 the headers are to be displayed.
12283 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
12284 and then the subject, you might say something like:
12287 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
12290 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
12291 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
12293 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
12294 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
12295 You can hide further boring headers by setting
12296 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
12297 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
12298 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
12299 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
12302 These conditions are:
12305 Remove all empty headers.
12307 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
12308 @code{Newsgroups} header.
12310 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
12311 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
12314 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
12317 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12318 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
12320 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
12321 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12323 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
12324 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
12326 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
12329 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
12331 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
12334 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
12337 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
12338 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
12341 This is also the default value for this variable.
12345 @section Using MIME
12346 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12348 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
12349 while people stand around yawning.
12351 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
12352 while all newsreaders die of fear.
12354 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
12355 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
12356 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
12358 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
12359 @findex gnus-display-mime
12360 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
12361 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
12362 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
12363 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
12365 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
12366 @acronym{MIME} button:
12369 @findex gnus-article-press-button
12370 @item RET (Article)
12371 @kindex RET (Article)
12372 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
12373 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
12374 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
12375 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
12376 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
12377 object is displayed inline.
12379 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
12380 @item M-RET (Article)
12381 @kindex M-RET (Article)
12383 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12384 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
12386 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
12388 @kindex t (Article)
12389 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
12390 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
12392 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
12394 @kindex C (Article)
12395 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
12396 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
12398 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
12400 @kindex o (Article)
12401 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
12402 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
12404 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
12405 @item C-o (Article)
12406 @kindex C-o (Article)
12407 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
12408 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
12409 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
12410 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
12411 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
12412 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
12414 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
12416 @kindex r (Article)
12417 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
12418 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
12419 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
12421 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
12423 @kindex d (Article)
12424 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
12425 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
12426 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
12428 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
12430 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
12432 @kindex c (Article)
12433 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
12434 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
12435 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
12436 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
12437 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
12438 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
12439 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
12440 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12442 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
12444 @kindex p (Article)
12445 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
12446 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
12447 @file{.mailcap} file.
12449 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
12451 @kindex i (Article)
12452 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
12453 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as @samp{text/plain}. If given a prefix, insert
12454 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
12455 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
12456 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
12457 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
12458 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
12459 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
12460 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
12462 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
12464 @kindex E (Article)
12465 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
12466 viewer is available, use an external viewer
12467 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
12469 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
12471 @kindex e (Article)
12472 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
12473 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
12475 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
12477 @kindex | (Article)
12478 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
12480 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
12482 @kindex . (Article)
12483 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
12484 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
12488 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
12489 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
12490 @acronym{MIME} manual.
12492 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
12493 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
12494 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
12495 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
12496 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
12497 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
12498 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
12499 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
12500 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
12502 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
12504 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
12508 @section @acronym{HTML}
12509 @cindex @acronym{HTML}
12511 If you have @code{w3m} installed on your system, Gnus can display
12512 @acronym{HTML} articles in the article buffer. There are many Gnus
12513 add-ons for doing this, using various approaches, but there's one
12514 (sort of) built-in method that's used by default.
12516 For a complete overview, consult @xref{Display Customization,
12517 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. This
12518 section only describes the default method.
12521 @item mm-text-html-renderer
12522 @vindex mm-text-html-renderer
12523 If set to @code{gnus-article-html}, Gnus will use the built-in method,
12524 that's based on @code{curl} and @code{w3m}.
12526 @item gnus-html-cache-directory
12527 @vindex gnus-html-cache-directory
12528 Gnus will download and cache images according to how
12529 @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp} is set. These images will be stored in
12532 @item gnus-html-cache-size
12533 @vindex gnus-html-cache-size
12534 When @code{gnus-html-cache-size} bytes have been used in that
12535 directory, the oldest files will be deleted. The default is 500MB.
12537 @item gnus-html-frame-width
12538 @vindex gnus-html-frame-width
12539 The width to use when rendering HTML. The default is 70.
12543 To use this, make sure that you have @code{w3m} and @code{curl}
12544 installed. If you have, then Gnus should display @acronym{HTML}
12549 @node Customizing Articles
12550 @section Customizing Articles
12551 @cindex article customization
12553 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
12554 exist. You can call these functions interactively
12555 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
12556 called automatically when you select the articles.
12558 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
12559 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
12560 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
12561 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
12563 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
12564 for sensible values.
12568 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
12571 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
12574 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
12577 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
12580 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
12583 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
12587 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
12588 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
12589 regexps in the list.
12592 A list where the first element is not a string:
12594 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
12595 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
12596 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
12600 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
12605 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
12606 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
12607 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
12608 considered to contain just a single part.
12610 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
12611 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
12612 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
12613 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
12614 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
12615 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
12616 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
12619 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
12620 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
12622 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
12623 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
12624 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
12625 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
12626 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
12627 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
12628 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
12629 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
12630 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
12631 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
12632 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
12633 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
12634 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
12635 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
12636 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
12637 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
12638 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
12639 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
12640 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
12641 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
12642 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
12643 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
12644 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
12645 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
12646 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12647 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12648 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12649 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12650 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12651 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12652 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12653 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12654 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12655 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12656 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12657 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12658 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12659 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12660 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12661 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12662 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12663 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12664 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12665 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12666 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12667 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12670 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
12671 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
12672 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
12673 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
12676 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
12677 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
12679 @xref{Article Buttons}.
12681 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
12682 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
12683 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
12684 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
12685 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
12686 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
12687 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
12688 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
12689 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
12690 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
12692 @xref{Article Washing}.
12694 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
12695 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
12696 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
12697 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
12698 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
12699 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
12700 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
12702 @xref{Article Date}.
12704 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
12705 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
12706 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
12710 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
12712 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
12714 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
12715 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
12716 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
12720 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
12721 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
12725 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
12726 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
12730 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
12731 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
12732 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
12733 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
12734 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
12735 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
12736 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
12737 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
12738 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
12739 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
12740 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
12741 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
12742 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
12743 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
12744 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
12745 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
12746 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
12747 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
12748 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
12749 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
12751 @xref{Article Hiding}.
12753 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
12754 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
12755 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
12756 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
12757 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
12758 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
12760 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
12762 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
12763 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
12764 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
12765 @item gnus-treat-translate
12766 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
12767 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
12768 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
12770 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
12771 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
12772 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
12773 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
12774 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
12775 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
12776 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
12777 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
12779 @xref{Article Header}.
12784 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
12785 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
12786 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
12787 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
12788 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
12792 @node Article Keymap
12793 @section Article Keymap
12795 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
12796 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
12797 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
12798 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
12801 @kindex v (Article)
12802 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
12803 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12804 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12806 A few additional keystrokes are available:
12811 @kindex SPACE (Article)
12812 @findex gnus-article-next-page
12813 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
12814 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
12817 @kindex DEL (Article)
12818 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
12819 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
12820 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
12823 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
12824 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
12825 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
12826 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
12827 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
12830 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
12831 @findex gnus-article-mail
12832 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
12833 given a prefix, include the mail.
12836 @kindex s (Article)
12837 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
12838 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
12839 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
12842 @kindex ? (Article)
12843 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
12844 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
12845 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
12848 @kindex TAB (Article)
12849 @findex gnus-article-next-button
12850 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
12851 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
12854 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
12855 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
12856 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
12859 @kindex R (Article)
12860 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
12861 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
12862 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If the region is active,
12863 only yank the text in the region.
12866 @kindex S W (Article)
12867 @findex gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original
12868 Send a wide reply to the current article and yank the current article
12869 (@code{gnus-article-wide-reply-with-original}). If the region is
12870 active, only yank the text in the region.
12873 @kindex F (Article)
12874 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
12875 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
12876 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If the region is active,
12877 only yank the text in the region.
12884 @section Misc Article
12888 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
12889 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
12890 @cindex article buffers, several
12891 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
12892 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
12895 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
12896 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
12897 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
12898 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
12899 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
12901 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
12902 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
12903 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
12904 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
12905 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
12906 the contents of the article buffer.
12908 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
12909 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
12910 Hook called in article mode buffers.
12912 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12913 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
12914 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
12915 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
12917 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
12918 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
12919 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
12920 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
12922 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
12923 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
12924 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
12925 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
12926 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
12927 with two extensions:
12932 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
12933 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
12934 performed. The characters and their meaning:
12939 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
12942 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
12945 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
12946 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
12947 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
12950 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
12953 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
12956 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasized strings in the article buffer.
12961 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
12965 @vindex gnus-break-pages
12967 @item gnus-break-pages
12968 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
12969 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
12970 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
12971 paging will not be done.
12973 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12974 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12975 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12979 @cindex internationalized domain names
12980 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12981 @item gnus-use-idna
12982 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12983 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12984 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12985 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12986 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12987 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12992 @node Composing Messages
12993 @chapter Composing Messages
12994 @cindex composing messages
12997 @cindex sending mail
13002 @cindex using s/mime
13003 @cindex using smime
13005 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
13006 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
13007 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
13008 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
13009 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
13010 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
13013 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
13014 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
13015 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
13016 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
13017 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
13018 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
13019 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
13020 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
13021 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
13024 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
13025 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
13031 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
13034 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
13035 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
13036 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
13037 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
13038 @code{nil} include all headers.
13040 @item gnus-add-to-list
13041 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
13042 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
13043 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
13045 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
13046 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
13047 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
13048 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
13049 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
13050 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
13051 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
13052 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
13054 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
13055 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
13057 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13058 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
13059 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
13060 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
13061 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
13066 @node Posting Server
13067 @section Posting Server
13069 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
13070 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
13072 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
13074 It can be quite complicated.
13076 @vindex gnus-post-method
13077 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
13078 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
13079 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
13080 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
13081 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
13082 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
13083 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
13084 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
13085 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
13088 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
13091 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
13092 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
13093 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
13094 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
13096 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
13097 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
13099 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
13100 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
13103 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
13104 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
13106 @vindex message-send-mail-function
13107 When sending mail, Message invokes the function specified by the
13108 variable @code{message-send-mail-function}. Gnus tries to set it to a
13109 value suitable for your system.
13110 @xref{Mail Variables, ,Mail Variables,message,Message manual}, for more
13113 @node POP before SMTP
13114 @section POP before SMTP
13115 @cindex pop before smtp
13116 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
13117 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
13119 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
13120 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
13121 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
13122 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
13123 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13126 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
13127 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
13131 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
13132 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
13133 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
13134 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
13135 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
13136 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
13137 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
13138 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
13140 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
13141 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
13142 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
13143 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
13144 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
13145 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
13148 (setq mail-source-primary-source
13149 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13150 :password "secret"))
13154 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
13155 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
13158 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
13160 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
13161 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13162 :password "secret")))
13163 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
13166 @node Mail and Post
13167 @section Mail and Post
13169 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
13173 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
13174 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
13175 @cindex mailing lists
13177 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
13178 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
13179 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
13180 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
13181 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
13182 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
13183 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
13184 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
13185 still a pain, though.
13187 @item gnus-user-agent
13188 @vindex gnus-user-agent
13191 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
13192 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
13193 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
13194 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
13195 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
13196 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
13197 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
13201 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
13202 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
13203 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
13206 @findex ispell-message
13208 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
13211 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
13212 you're in, you could say something like the following:
13215 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
13219 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
13220 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
13222 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
13225 Modify to suit your needs.
13227 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
13228 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
13229 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
13232 @node Archived Messages
13233 @section Archived Messages
13234 @cindex archived messages
13235 @cindex sent messages
13237 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
13238 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
13239 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
13240 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
13243 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
13244 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
13247 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
13248 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
13249 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
13250 actually being used it is expanded into:
13253 (nnfolder "archive"
13254 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
13255 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
13256 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
13257 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
13261 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
13262 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
13263 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
13264 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
13265 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
13266 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
13267 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13268 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
13269 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
13270 saved method to reflect always the value of
13271 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
13272 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
13273 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
13276 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
13277 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
13278 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
13279 directory chosen, you could say something like:
13282 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
13283 '(nnfolder "archive"
13284 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
13285 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
13286 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
13289 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
13291 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
13292 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
13293 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
13295 This variable can be used to do the following:
13299 Messages will be saved in that group.
13301 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
13302 message will not be stored in the select method given by
13303 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
13304 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
13305 has the default value shown above. Then setting
13306 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
13307 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
13308 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
13311 @item a list of strings
13312 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
13314 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
13315 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
13318 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
13323 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
13325 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
13328 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
13330 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
13333 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
13335 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13336 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
13337 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
13338 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
13341 More complex stuff:
13343 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13344 '((if (message-news-p)
13349 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
13350 messages in one file per month:
13353 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
13354 '((if (message-news-p)
13356 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
13359 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
13360 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
13362 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
13363 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
13364 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
13365 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
13366 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
13367 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
13368 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
13369 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
13370 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
13371 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
13373 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
13374 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
13375 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
13376 this will disable archiving.
13379 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
13380 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
13381 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
13382 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
13383 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
13386 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
13387 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
13388 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
13391 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
13392 but the latter is the preferred method.
13394 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13395 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
13396 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
13398 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13399 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
13400 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
13401 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
13402 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
13403 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
13404 changed in the future.
13409 @node Posting Styles
13410 @section Posting Styles
13411 @cindex posting styles
13414 All them variables, they make my head swim.
13416 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
13417 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
13418 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
13421 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
13422 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
13423 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
13424 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
13425 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
13430 (signature "Peace and happiness")
13431 (organization "What me?"))
13433 (signature "Death to everybody"))
13434 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
13435 (organization "Emacs is it")))
13438 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
13439 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
13440 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
13441 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
13442 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
13443 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
13444 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
13445 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
13447 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
13448 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
13449 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
13450 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
13451 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
13452 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
13453 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
13454 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
13455 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
13456 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
13457 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
13458 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
13459 said to @dfn{match}.
13461 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
13462 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
13463 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
13464 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
13465 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
13466 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
13467 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
13468 name can be one of:
13471 @item @code{signature}
13472 @item @code{signature-file}
13473 @item @code{x-face-file}
13474 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
13475 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
13479 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
13480 @code{message-signature-directory}.
13482 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
13483 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
13484 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
13485 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
13486 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
13488 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
13489 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
13490 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
13491 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
13492 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
13493 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
13494 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
13495 references chars lines xref extra.
13497 @vindex message-reply-headers
13499 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
13500 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
13501 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
13503 @findex message-mail-p
13504 @findex message-news-p
13506 So here's a new example:
13509 (setq gnus-posting-styles
13511 (signature-file "~/.signature")
13513 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
13514 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
13515 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
13517 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
13518 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
13519 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
13520 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
13521 (signature my-news-signature))
13522 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
13523 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
13524 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
13525 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
13526 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
13527 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
13528 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
13529 (address "user@@bar.foo")
13530 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
13531 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
13533 (From (with-current-buffer gnus-article-buffer
13534 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
13536 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
13539 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
13540 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
13541 if you fill many roles.
13542 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
13543 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
13549 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
13550 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
13551 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
13552 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
13553 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
13555 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
13556 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
13557 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
13558 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
13559 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
13563 @vindex nndraft-directory
13564 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
13565 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
13566 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
13567 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
13568 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
13569 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
13571 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
13572 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
13573 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
13574 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
13575 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
13576 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
13577 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
13578 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
13579 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
13581 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
13582 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
13583 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
13584 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
13585 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
13586 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
13587 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
13588 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
13589 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
13590 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
13591 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
13592 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
13593 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
13594 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
13596 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
13597 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
13598 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
13600 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
13601 @kindex D e (Draft)
13602 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
13603 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
13604 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
13606 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
13609 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
13610 @kindex D s (Draft)
13611 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
13612 @kindex D S (Draft)
13613 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
13614 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
13615 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
13616 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
13617 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
13620 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
13621 @kindex D t (Draft)
13622 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
13623 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
13624 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
13627 @node Rejected Articles
13628 @section Rejected Articles
13629 @cindex rejected articles
13631 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
13632 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
13633 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
13634 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
13636 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
13637 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
13638 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
13639 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
13640 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
13642 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
13643 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
13644 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
13646 @node Signing and encrypting
13647 @section Signing and encrypting
13649 @cindex using s/mime
13650 @cindex using smime
13652 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
13653 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
13654 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
13655 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
13657 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
13658 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
13659 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
13660 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
13661 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
13662 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
13663 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
13664 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
13665 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
13666 automatically encrypted messages.
13668 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
13669 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
13670 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
13675 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
13676 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
13678 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13681 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
13682 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13684 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13687 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
13688 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
13690 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13693 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
13694 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
13696 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
13699 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
13700 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
13702 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
13705 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
13706 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
13708 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
13711 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
13712 @findex mml-unsecure-message
13713 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
13717 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
13719 @node Select Methods
13720 @chapter Select Methods
13721 @cindex foreign groups
13722 @cindex select methods
13724 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
13725 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
13726 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
13727 personal mail group.
13729 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
13730 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
13731 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
13732 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
13733 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
13734 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
13736 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
13737 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
13739 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
13742 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
13743 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
13744 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
13745 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
13746 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
13748 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
13751 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
13752 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
13753 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
13754 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
13755 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
13756 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
13757 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
13758 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
13759 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
13763 @node Server Buffer
13764 @section Server Buffer
13766 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
13767 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
13768 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
13769 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
13770 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
13771 back end represents a virtual server.
13773 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
13774 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
13775 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
13776 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
13778 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
13779 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
13780 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
13781 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
13782 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
13783 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
13784 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
13786 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
13787 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
13790 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
13791 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
13792 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
13793 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
13794 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
13795 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
13796 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
13799 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
13800 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
13803 @node Server Buffer Format
13804 @subsection Server Buffer Format
13805 @cindex server buffer format
13807 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
13808 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
13809 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
13810 variable, with some simple extensions:
13815 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
13818 The name of this server.
13821 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
13824 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
13827 Whether this server is agentized.
13830 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
13831 The mode line can also be customized by using the
13832 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
13833 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
13843 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
13846 @node Server Commands
13847 @subsection Server Commands
13848 @cindex server commands
13854 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
13855 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
13856 command or better use it as a prefix key.
13860 @findex gnus-server-add-server
13861 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
13865 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
13866 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
13869 @kindex SPACE (Server)
13870 @findex gnus-server-read-server
13871 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
13875 @findex gnus-server-exit
13876 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
13880 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
13881 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
13885 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
13886 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
13890 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
13891 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
13895 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
13896 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
13900 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
13901 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
13902 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
13907 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
13908 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
13909 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
13910 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
13914 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
13916 Compact all groups in the server under point
13917 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
13918 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
13919 hence getting a correct total article count.
13924 @node Example Methods
13925 @subsection Example Methods
13927 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
13930 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
13933 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
13939 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
13940 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
13943 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
13944 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
13946 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
13947 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
13951 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
13954 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13955 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13957 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13958 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13959 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13963 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13966 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13969 Here's the method for a public spool:
13973 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13974 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13980 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13981 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13982 on the firewall machine and connect with
13983 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} from there to the
13984 @acronym{NNTP} server.
13985 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13986 should probably look something like this:
13990 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)
13991 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13992 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host"))
13995 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13996 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13997 configuration to the example above:
14000 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
14003 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
14004 an indirect connection:
14007 (setq gnus-select-method
14009 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
14010 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
14011 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
14012 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
14013 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C"))
14014 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat)))
14017 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
14018 provide automatic authorization, of course.
14020 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
14021 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
14022 netcat connection to the news server as follows:
14026 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14027 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14028 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14032 @node Creating a Virtual Server
14033 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
14035 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
14036 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
14038 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
14039 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
14040 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
14042 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
14044 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
14045 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
14046 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
14047 will contain the following:
14057 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
14058 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
14061 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
14062 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
14063 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
14066 @node Server Variables
14067 @subsection Server Variables
14068 @cindex server variables
14069 @cindex server parameters
14071 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
14072 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
14073 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
14074 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
14075 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
14077 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
14078 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
14079 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
14080 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
14081 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
14082 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
14083 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
14084 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
14085 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
14089 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
14090 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
14091 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
14094 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
14096 @node Servers and Methods
14097 @subsection Servers and Methods
14099 Wherever you would normally use a select method
14100 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
14101 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
14102 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
14106 @node Unavailable Servers
14107 @subsection Unavailable Servers
14109 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
14110 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
14111 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
14112 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
14113 actually the case or not.
14115 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
14116 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
14117 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
14118 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
14119 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
14120 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
14121 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
14122 it will regard that server as ``down''.
14124 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
14125 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
14127 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
14128 with the following commands:
14134 @findex gnus-server-open-server
14135 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
14136 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
14140 @findex gnus-server-close-server
14141 Close the connection (if any) to the server
14142 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
14146 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
14147 Mark the current server as unreachable
14148 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
14151 @kindex M-o (Server)
14152 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
14153 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
14154 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
14157 @kindex M-c (Server)
14158 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
14159 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
14160 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
14164 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
14165 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
14166 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
14170 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
14171 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
14177 @section Getting News
14178 @cindex reading news
14179 @cindex news back ends
14181 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
14182 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
14183 or it can read from a local spool.
14186 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14187 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
14195 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
14196 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
14197 server as the, uhm, address.
14199 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
14200 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
14201 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
14202 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14204 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
14205 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
14206 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
14208 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
14213 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
14214 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
14215 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
14217 @cindex authentication
14218 @cindex nntp authentication
14219 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14220 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
14221 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
14222 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
14223 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
14224 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
14225 present in this hook.
14227 @item nntp-authinfo-function
14228 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
14229 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
14230 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
14231 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
14232 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
14233 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
14234 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
14235 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
14236 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
14237 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
14238 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
14242 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
14245 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
14247 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
14248 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
14249 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
14250 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
14251 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
14252 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
14253 @samp{force} is explained below.
14257 Here's an example file:
14260 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
14261 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
14264 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
14265 have to be first, for instance.
14267 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
14268 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
14269 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
14270 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
14271 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
14272 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
14273 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
14275 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
14276 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
14282 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
14283 previously mentioned.
14285 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
14287 @item nntp-server-action-alist
14288 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
14289 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
14290 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
14291 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
14294 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
14295 '(("innd" (ding))))
14298 You probably don't want to do that, though.
14300 The default value is
14303 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
14304 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
14305 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
14308 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
14309 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
14311 @item nntp-maximum-request
14312 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
14313 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
14314 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
14315 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
14316 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
14317 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
14318 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
14320 @item nntp-connection-timeout
14321 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
14322 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
14323 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
14324 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
14325 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
14326 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
14327 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
14328 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
14329 no timeouts are done.
14331 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
14332 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
14333 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
14334 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
14337 @item nntp-xover-commands
14338 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
14339 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
14341 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
14342 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
14346 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
14347 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
14348 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
14349 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
14350 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
14351 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
14352 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
14353 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
14354 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
14355 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
14356 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
14358 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14359 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
14360 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
14361 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
14362 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
14363 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
14364 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
14365 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
14366 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
14367 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
14368 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
14369 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
14370 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
14371 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
14372 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
14373 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
14374 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
14377 (setq gnus-select-method
14379 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
14380 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
14384 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
14386 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
14387 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
14388 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
14390 @item nntp-record-commands
14391 @vindex nntp-record-commands
14392 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
14393 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
14394 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
14395 that doesn't seem to work.
14397 @item nntp-open-connection-function
14398 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
14399 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
14400 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
14401 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
14402 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
14403 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
14404 indirect ones (three pre-made).
14406 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
14407 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
14408 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
14409 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
14410 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
14411 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
14412 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
14413 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
14414 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
14416 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14417 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
14418 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
14419 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
14420 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
14421 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
14422 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
14424 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
14425 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
14426 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
14427 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
14428 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
14429 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
14430 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
14433 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
14436 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
14437 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
14442 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
14443 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
14444 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
14445 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
14449 @node Direct Functions
14450 @subsubsection Direct Functions
14451 @cindex direct connection functions
14453 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
14454 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
14455 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
14456 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14459 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
14460 @item nntp-open-network-stream
14461 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
14464 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
14465 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
14466 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14467 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
14468 installed. You then define a server as follows:
14471 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14472 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
14474 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14475 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
14476 (nntp-port-number 563)
14477 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14480 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
14481 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
14482 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
14483 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
14484 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
14485 then define a server as follows:
14488 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
14489 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
14491 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
14492 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
14493 (nntp-port-number 563)
14494 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
14497 @findex nntp-open-netcat-stream
14498 @item nntp-open-netcat-stream
14499 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server using the @code{netcat}
14500 program. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have
14501 the default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
14502 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
14503 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
14504 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
14508 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14509 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-netcat-stream)
14510 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
14513 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
14514 session, which is not a good idea.
14516 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
14517 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
14518 Like @code{nntp-open-netcat-stream}, but uses @code{telnet} rather than
14519 @code{netcat}. @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things
14520 like line-end-conversion, but sometimes netcat is simply
14521 not available. The previous example would turn into:
14525 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
14526 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
14527 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
14528 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
14533 @node Indirect Functions
14534 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
14535 @cindex indirect connection functions
14537 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
14538 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14539 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
14540 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
14541 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
14542 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14545 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14546 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
14547 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then uses @code{netcat} to connect
14548 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
14549 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
14551 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
14554 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14555 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14556 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14557 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14559 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14560 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14561 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14562 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
14563 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
14564 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections.
14567 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14568 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
14569 Does essentially the same, but uses @code{telnet} instead of @samp{netcat}
14570 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
14571 @code{telnet} is a bit less robust because of things like
14572 line-end-conversion, but sometimes @code{netcat} is simply not available.
14574 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14577 @item nntp-telnet-command
14578 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
14579 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
14580 intermediate host. The default is @samp{telnet}.
14582 @item nntp-telnet-switches
14583 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
14584 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14585 @code{nntp-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{("-8")}.
14587 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
14588 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
14589 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
14590 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
14592 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14593 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
14594 List of strings to be used as the switches to
14595 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. If you use @samp{ssh}, you may need to set
14596 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
14597 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
14598 host. The default is @code{nil}.
14601 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14602 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14604 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14605 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
14606 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
14607 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
14609 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
14612 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
14613 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
14614 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
14617 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
14618 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
14619 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
14620 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
14622 @item nntp-via-user-password
14623 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
14624 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
14626 @item nntp-via-envuser
14627 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
14628 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
14629 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
14630 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
14632 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
14633 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
14634 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
14635 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
14639 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
14640 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
14644 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
14649 @item nntp-via-user-name
14650 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
14651 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
14653 @item nntp-via-address
14654 @vindex nntp-via-address
14655 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
14660 @node Common Variables
14661 @subsubsection Common Variables
14663 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
14664 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
14665 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
14666 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
14667 variables individually).
14671 @item nntp-pre-command
14672 @vindex nntp-pre-command
14673 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
14674 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
14675 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
14676 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
14679 @vindex nntp-address
14680 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
14682 @item nntp-port-number
14683 @vindex nntp-port-number
14684 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14685 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
14686 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
14687 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
14688 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
14689 not work with named ports.
14691 @item nntp-end-of-line
14692 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
14693 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
14694 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
14695 using a non native telnet connection function.
14697 @item nntp-netcat-command
14698 @vindex nntp-netcat-command
14699 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
14700 @samp{netcat}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
14701 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
14704 @item nntp-netcat-switches
14705 @vindex nntp-netcat-switches
14706 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-netcat-command}. The default
14712 @subsubsection NNTP marks
14713 @cindex storing NNTP marks
14715 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
14716 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
14717 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
14718 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
14719 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
14720 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
14721 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
14722 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
14724 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
14725 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
14726 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
14727 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
14728 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14730 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
14731 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
14732 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
14733 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
14734 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
14735 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
14736 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
14738 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
14739 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
14740 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
14746 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
14747 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
14748 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
14749 default is @code{nil}.
14751 @item nntp-marks-directory
14752 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
14753 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
14759 @subsection News Spool
14763 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
14764 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
14765 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
14768 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
14769 anything else) as the address.
14771 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
14772 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
14773 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
14774 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
14778 @item nnspool-inews-program
14779 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
14780 Program used to post an article.
14782 @item nnspool-inews-switches
14783 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
14784 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
14786 @item nnspool-spool-directory
14787 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
14788 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
14789 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
14791 @item nnspool-nov-directory
14792 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
14793 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
14794 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
14796 @item nnspool-lib-dir
14797 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
14798 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
14800 @item nnspool-active-file
14801 @vindex nnspool-active-file
14802 The name of the active file.
14804 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
14805 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
14806 The name of the group descriptions file.
14808 @item nnspool-history-file
14809 @vindex nnspool-history-file
14810 The name of the news history file.
14812 @item nnspool-active-times-file
14813 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
14814 The name of the active date file.
14816 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
14817 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
14818 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
14821 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14822 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
14824 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
14825 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
14826 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
14833 @section Getting Mail
14834 @cindex reading mail
14837 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
14841 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
14842 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
14843 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
14844 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
14845 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
14846 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
14847 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
14848 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
14849 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
14850 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
14851 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
14852 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
14853 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
14857 @node Mail in a Newsreader
14858 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
14860 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
14861 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
14862 of a culture shock.
14864 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
14865 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
14867 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
14868 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
14869 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
14870 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
14872 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
14874 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
14875 deleted? How awful!
14877 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
14878 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
14879 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
14880 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
14883 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
14884 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
14885 they want to treat a message.
14887 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
14888 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
14889 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
14890 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
14891 archived somewhere else.
14893 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
14894 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
14895 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
14896 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
14897 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
14899 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
14900 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
14901 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
14903 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
14904 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
14907 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
14908 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
14909 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
14910 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
14911 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
14913 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
14914 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
14915 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
14916 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
14917 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
14918 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
14922 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
14923 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
14925 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
14926 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
14927 and things will happen automatically.
14929 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
14930 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
14933 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
14936 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
14937 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
14938 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
14939 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
14940 like any other group.
14942 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
14945 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14946 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14947 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14951 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
14952 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
14953 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
14956 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
14957 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
14958 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
14961 @node Splitting Mail
14962 @subsection Splitting Mail
14963 @cindex splitting mail
14964 @cindex mail splitting
14965 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14967 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14968 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14969 to be split into groups.
14972 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14973 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14974 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14975 ("mail.other" "")))
14978 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14979 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14980 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14981 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14982 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14983 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14984 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14987 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14991 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14992 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14994 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14995 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14996 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14997 mail belongs in that group.
14999 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
15000 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
15001 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
15002 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
15003 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
15004 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
15005 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
15006 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
15007 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
15008 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
15010 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
15011 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
15012 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
15013 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
15014 thinks should carry this mail message.
15016 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
15017 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
15018 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
15019 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
15021 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
15022 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
15023 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
15024 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
15025 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
15027 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
15030 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
15031 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
15032 links. If that's the case for you, set
15033 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
15034 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
15036 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
15037 @findex nnmail-split-history
15038 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
15039 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
15040 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
15041 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
15044 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
15045 Header lines longer than the value of
15046 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
15049 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
15050 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
15051 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
15052 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
15053 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
15054 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
15055 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
15056 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
15057 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
15058 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
15059 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
15060 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
15062 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15063 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
15064 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
15065 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
15066 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
15067 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
15068 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
15069 other kinds of entries.)
15071 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
15072 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
15073 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
15074 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
15075 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
15076 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
15077 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
15078 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
15079 month's rent money.
15083 @subsection Mail Sources
15085 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
15086 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
15087 maildir, for instance.
15090 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
15091 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
15092 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
15096 @node Mail Source Specifiers
15097 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
15099 @cindex mail server
15102 @cindex mail source
15104 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
15105 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
15110 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
15113 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
15114 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
15115 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
15118 The @code{mail-sources} is global for all mail groups. You can specify
15119 an additional mail source for a particular group by including the
15120 @code{group} mail specifier in @code{mail-sources}, and setting a
15121 @code{mail-source} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) specifying
15122 a single mail source. When this is used, @code{mail-sources} is
15123 typically just @code{(group)}; the @code{mail-source} parameter for a
15124 group might look like this:
15127 (mail-source . (file :path "home/user/spools/foo.spool"))
15130 This means that the group's (and only this group's) messages will be
15131 fetched from the spool file @samp{/user/spools/foo.spool}.
15133 The following mail source types are available:
15137 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
15143 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
15144 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
15145 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
15149 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15152 An example file mail source:
15155 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
15158 Or using the default file name:
15164 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
15165 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
15166 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
15167 mail spool while moving the mail.
15169 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
15173 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
15176 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
15180 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
15183 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
15185 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
15188 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
15189 file you want to use.
15193 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
15194 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
15195 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
15196 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
15197 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
15198 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
15199 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
15200 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
15201 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
15202 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
15204 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
15205 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
15206 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
15207 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
15213 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
15217 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
15221 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
15222 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
15223 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
15224 predicate are considered.
15228 Script run before/after fetching mail.
15232 An example directory mail source:
15235 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
15240 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15246 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
15247 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15250 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
15251 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
15252 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
15253 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
15254 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
15257 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
15261 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
15262 the user is prompted.
15265 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
15266 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
15269 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
15272 The valid format specifier characters are:
15276 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
15277 included in this string.
15280 The name of the server.
15283 The port number of the server.
15286 The user name to use.
15289 The password to use.
15292 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15293 corresponding keywords.
15296 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15297 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15300 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
15301 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
15304 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
15305 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
15306 mail should be moved to.
15308 @item :authentication
15309 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
15310 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
15315 @vindex pop3-movemail
15316 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
15317 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
15318 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
15319 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
15320 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
15321 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
15322 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
15323 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
15324 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
15326 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
15327 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
15328 name, and default fetcher:
15334 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
15337 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
15338 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
15341 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
15344 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
15348 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
15349 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
15350 contains exactly one mail.
15356 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
15357 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
15360 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
15361 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
15363 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
15364 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
15365 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
15368 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
15369 from locking problems).
15373 Two example maildir mail sources:
15376 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
15377 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
15381 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
15386 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
15387 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
15388 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
15389 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
15390 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
15392 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
15393 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
15399 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
15400 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
15403 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
15404 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
15407 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
15411 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
15415 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
15416 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
15417 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
15418 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
15420 @item :authentication
15421 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
15422 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
15423 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
15424 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
15427 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
15428 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
15429 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
15435 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
15436 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
15437 specifier characters are:
15441 The name of the server.
15444 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
15447 The port number of the server.
15450 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
15451 corresponding keywords.
15454 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
15455 which normally is the mailbox which receives incoming mail.
15458 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
15459 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
15460 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
15461 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
15462 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
15463 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
15466 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
15467 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
15468 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
15469 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
15472 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
15473 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
15477 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
15480 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
15482 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
15486 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
15487 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
15488 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
15490 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
15491 required for url "4.0pre.46".
15493 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
15499 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
15500 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
15503 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
15507 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
15511 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
15512 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
15516 An example webmail source:
15519 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
15521 :password "secret")
15525 Get the actual mail source from the @code{mail-source} group parameter,
15526 @xref{Group Parameters}.
15531 @item Common Keywords
15532 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
15538 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
15539 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
15544 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
15549 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
15550 useful when you use local mail and news.
15555 @subsubsection Function Interface
15557 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
15558 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
15559 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
15560 consider the following mail-source setting:
15563 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
15564 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
15567 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
15568 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
15569 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
15570 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
15571 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
15573 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
15576 @node Mail Source Customization
15577 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
15579 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
15580 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
15584 @item mail-source-crash-box
15585 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
15586 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
15587 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
15590 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
15591 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
15592 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
15593 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
15594 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
15595 (the deletion will only happen when receiving new mail). You may also
15596 set @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
15597 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
15598 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{10} in alpha Gnusae
15599 and @code{2} in released Gnusae. @xref{Gnus Development}.
15601 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15602 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
15603 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
15604 files. This variable only applies when
15605 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
15607 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
15608 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
15609 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
15611 @item mail-source-directory
15612 @vindex mail-source-directory
15613 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
15614 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
15615 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
15616 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
15618 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15619 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
15620 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
15621 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
15622 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
15623 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
15626 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
15627 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
15628 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
15630 @item mail-source-movemail-program
15631 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
15632 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
15633 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
15638 @node Fetching Mail
15639 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
15641 @vindex mail-sources
15642 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
15643 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
15644 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
15646 If this variable is @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to
15647 fetch mail by themselves.
15649 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
15650 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
15655 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15656 :password "secret")))
15659 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
15663 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
15664 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
15667 :password "secret")))
15671 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
15672 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
15673 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
15674 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
15675 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
15676 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
15680 @node Mail Back End Variables
15681 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
15683 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
15687 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15688 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
15689 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
15690 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
15692 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
15693 @item nnmail-split-hook
15694 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
15695 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
15696 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
15697 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
15698 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
15699 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
15700 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
15701 in the buffer will show up in any files.
15702 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
15705 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15706 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15707 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15708 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15709 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
15710 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
15711 starting to handle the new mail) and
15712 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
15713 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
15714 default file modes the new mail files get:
15717 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
15718 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
15720 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
15721 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
15724 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
15725 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
15726 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
15727 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
15728 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
15729 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
15730 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
15732 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
15733 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
15734 @findex delete-file
15735 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
15737 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15738 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15739 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
15740 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
15741 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
15743 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15744 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
15745 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
15746 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
15747 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
15749 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
15750 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
15751 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
15756 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
15757 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
15758 @cindex mail splitting
15759 @cindex fancy mail splitting
15761 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
15762 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
15763 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
15764 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
15765 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
15766 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
15768 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
15771 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
15772 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
15773 ;; @r{from real errors.}
15774 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
15776 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
15777 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
15778 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
15779 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
15780 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
15781 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
15782 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
15783 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
15784 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
15785 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
15786 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
15787 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
15788 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
15789 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
15790 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
15791 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
15792 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
15796 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
15797 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
15798 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
15803 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
15804 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
15806 @c Don't fold this line.
15807 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
15808 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
15809 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
15810 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
15813 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
15814 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
15815 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
15816 @var{split} is processed.
15818 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
15819 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
15820 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
15821 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15823 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
15824 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
15825 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
15826 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
15827 stored in one or more groups.
15829 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
15830 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
15831 process all @var{split}s in the list.
15834 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
15835 this message. Use with extreme caution.
15837 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
15838 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
15839 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
15840 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
15843 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
15844 body of the messages:
15847 (defun split-on-body ()
15851 (goto-char (point-min))
15852 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
15856 The buffer is narrowed to the header of the message in question when
15857 @var{function} is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called
15858 after @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
15859 above. Also note that with the nnimap backend, message bodies will
15860 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
15861 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
15862 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
15864 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
15865 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
15866 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
15867 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
15868 should return a split.
15871 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
15875 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
15877 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
15878 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
15879 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
15880 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
15884 (any "joe" "joemail")
15888 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
15889 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
15890 of the following three ways:
15894 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
15895 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
15896 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
15897 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
15898 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
15901 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
15904 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
15905 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
15906 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
15907 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
15908 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
15911 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
15912 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
15913 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
15914 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15915 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
15916 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
15917 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
15920 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
15921 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
15922 they are expanded as specified by the variable
15923 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
15924 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
15925 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
15926 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
15930 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
15932 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
15933 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
15935 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
15938 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
15939 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
15940 when all this splitting is performed.
15942 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
15943 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
15944 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
15947 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
15950 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
15951 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
15953 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
15954 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
15955 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
15956 groupings 1 through 9.
15958 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
15959 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
15960 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
15961 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
15962 groups when users send to an address using different case
15963 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
15966 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
15967 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
15968 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
15969 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
15970 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
15971 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
15972 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
15973 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
15974 it once per thread.
15976 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
15977 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
15978 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
15979 using the colon feature, like so:
15981 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
15982 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
15984 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
15985 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15989 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15990 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15991 in the file specified by the variable
15992 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15993 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15994 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15995 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15996 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15997 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15998 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15999 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
16000 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
16001 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
16002 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
16003 300 kBytes in size.)
16004 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
16005 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
16006 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
16007 messages goes into the new group.
16009 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
16010 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
16011 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
16012 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
16013 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
16014 ``outgoing'' group.
16017 @node Group Mail Splitting
16018 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
16019 @cindex mail splitting
16020 @cindex group mail splitting
16022 @findex gnus-group-split
16023 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
16024 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
16025 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
16026 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
16027 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
16028 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
16029 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
16030 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
16032 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
16033 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
16034 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
16035 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
16037 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
16038 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
16039 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
16040 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
16041 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
16042 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
16043 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
16045 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
16046 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
16047 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
16048 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
16049 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
16050 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
16051 @code{gnus-group-split}.
16053 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
16054 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
16055 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
16056 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
16057 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
16058 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
16059 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
16060 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
16061 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
16062 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
16063 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
16064 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
16065 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
16067 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
16072 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
16073 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
16075 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
16076 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
16077 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
16078 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
16080 ((split-spec . catch-all))
16083 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
16084 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
16085 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
16088 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
16089 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
16090 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
16094 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
16095 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
16096 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
16100 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
16103 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
16104 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
16105 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
16106 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
16107 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
16108 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
16109 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
16110 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
16111 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
16113 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
16114 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
16115 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
16116 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
16117 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
16118 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
16119 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
16120 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
16121 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
16123 @findex gnus-group-split-update
16124 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
16125 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
16126 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
16127 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
16128 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
16131 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
16134 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
16135 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
16136 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
16137 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
16138 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
16141 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
16142 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
16143 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
16144 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
16146 @node Incorporating Old Mail
16147 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
16148 @cindex incorporating old mail
16149 @cindex import old mail
16151 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
16152 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
16153 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
16156 Doing so can be quite easy.
16158 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
16159 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
16160 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
16161 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
16162 your @code{nnml} groups.
16168 Go to the group buffer.
16171 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
16172 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16175 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
16178 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
16179 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16182 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
16183 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
16186 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
16187 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
16188 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
16189 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
16190 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
16192 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
16193 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
16194 using the new mail back end.
16197 @node Expiring Mail
16198 @subsection Expiring Mail
16199 @cindex article expiry
16200 @cindex expiring mail
16202 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
16203 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
16204 different approach to mail reading.
16206 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
16207 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
16208 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
16209 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
16210 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
16211 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
16214 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
16215 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
16216 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
16217 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
16218 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
16219 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
16220 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
16221 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
16222 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
16224 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
16225 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
16226 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
16227 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
16228 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
16229 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
16230 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
16233 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
16234 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
16235 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
16236 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
16237 into its own group.)
16239 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
16240 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
16241 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
16242 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
16243 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
16244 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
16245 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
16246 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
16249 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16250 Groups that match the regular expression
16251 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
16252 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
16253 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
16255 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
16256 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
16257 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
16258 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
16259 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16261 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
16263 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
16264 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
16265 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
16268 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
16269 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
16270 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
16271 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
16272 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
16274 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
16275 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
16278 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
16279 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
16282 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
16283 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
16285 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
16286 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
16287 don't really mix very well.
16289 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
16290 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
16291 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
16292 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
16295 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
16296 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
16297 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
16298 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
16301 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16303 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
16305 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
16307 ((string= group "mail.junk")
16309 ((string= group "important")
16315 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
16316 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
16318 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
16319 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
16320 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
16323 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
16324 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
16326 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
16327 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
16328 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
16329 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
16330 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
16331 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
16332 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
16333 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
16334 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
16335 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
16336 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
16337 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
16338 name or @code{delete}.
16340 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
16342 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
16345 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16346 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16347 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
16348 expire mail to groups according to the variable
16349 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
16352 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
16353 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
16354 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
16355 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
16356 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
16359 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
16360 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
16361 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
16362 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
16363 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
16364 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
16366 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
16367 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
16368 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
16369 easier for procmail users.
16371 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
16372 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
16373 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
16374 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
16375 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
16376 caution. Even more dangerous is the
16377 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
16378 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
16379 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
16380 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
16381 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
16382 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
16383 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
16386 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
16388 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
16389 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
16390 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
16391 auto-expire turned on.
16393 @vindex gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable
16394 The expirable marks of articles will be removed when copying or moving
16395 them to a group in which auto-expire is not turned on. This is for
16396 preventing articles from being expired unintentionally. On the other
16397 hand, to a group that has turned auto-expire on, the expirable marks of
16398 articles that are copied or moved will not be changed by default. I.e.,
16399 when copying or moving to such a group, articles that were expirable
16400 will be left expirable and ones that were not expirable will not be
16401 marked as expirable. So, even though in auto-expire groups, some
16402 articles will never get expired (unless you read them again). If you
16403 don't side with that behavior that unexpirable articles may be mixed
16404 into auto-expire groups, you can set
16405 @code{gnus-mark-copied-or-moved-articles-as-expirable} to a
16406 non-@code{nil} value. In that case, articles that have been read will
16407 be marked as expirable automatically when being copied or moved to a
16408 group that has auto-expire turned on. The default value is @code{nil}.
16412 @subsection Washing Mail
16413 @cindex mail washing
16414 @cindex list server brain damage
16415 @cindex incoming mail treatment
16417 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
16418 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
16419 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
16420 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
16421 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
16422 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
16424 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
16425 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
16426 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
16429 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
16430 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
16431 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
16432 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
16435 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16436 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
16437 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
16438 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
16439 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
16442 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16443 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
16444 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
16445 Emacs running on MS machines.
16449 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16450 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
16451 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
16452 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
16455 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16456 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
16457 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
16458 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
16460 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
16461 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
16462 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
16463 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
16464 into a feature by documenting it.)
16466 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16467 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
16468 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
16469 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
16470 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
16471 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
16472 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
16475 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
16476 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
16479 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
16480 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
16483 This can also be done non-destructively with
16484 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
16486 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
16487 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
16488 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
16490 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16491 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
16492 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
16495 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
16496 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
16497 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
16498 contain a line matching the regular expression
16499 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
16503 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16504 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
16505 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
16509 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
16510 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
16511 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
16518 @subsection Duplicates
16520 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
16521 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
16522 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
16523 @cindex duplicate mails
16524 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
16525 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
16526 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
16527 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
16528 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
16529 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
16530 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
16531 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
16532 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
16533 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
16534 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
16535 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
16536 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
16538 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
16539 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
16540 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
16541 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
16543 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
16546 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
16547 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
16551 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
16552 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
16553 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
16554 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
16555 (any mail "mail.misc")
16556 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16562 (setq nnmail-split-methods
16563 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
16564 ;; @r{Other rules.}
16568 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
16569 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
16570 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
16571 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
16572 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
16575 @node Not Reading Mail
16576 @subsection Not Reading Mail
16578 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
16579 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
16580 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
16582 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
16583 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
16584 mail, which should help.
16586 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16587 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16588 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16589 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16590 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16591 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
16592 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old (pre-Emacs
16593 23) Rmail file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
16594 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
16595 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
16596 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
16598 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
16599 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
16603 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
16604 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
16606 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
16607 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
16608 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
16610 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
16611 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
16612 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
16616 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
16617 * Babyl:: Babyl was used by older versions of Rmail.
16618 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
16619 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
16620 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
16621 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
16622 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
16626 @node Unix Mail Box
16627 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
16629 @cindex unix mail box
16631 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16632 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16633 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
16634 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
16635 which group it belongs in.
16637 Virtual server settings:
16640 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
16641 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
16642 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
16645 @item nnmbox-active-file
16646 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
16647 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
16648 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
16650 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
16651 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
16652 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
16653 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
16658 @subsubsection Babyl
16661 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16662 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16663 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box to store mail.
16664 @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail article to say which
16665 group it belongs in.
16667 Virtual server settings:
16670 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
16671 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
16672 The name of the Babyl file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
16674 @item nnbabyl-active-file
16675 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
16676 The name of the active file for the Babyl file. The default is
16677 @file{~/.rmail-active}
16679 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16680 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
16681 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
16687 @subsubsection Mail Spool
16689 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
16691 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
16692 format. It should be used with some caution.
16694 @vindex nnml-directory
16695 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
16696 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
16697 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
16698 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
16700 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
16703 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
16704 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
16705 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
16706 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
16707 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
16708 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
16709 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
16710 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
16712 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
16713 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
16714 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
16715 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
16717 @cindex self contained nnml servers
16719 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
16720 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16721 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16722 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
16723 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
16724 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
16725 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
16726 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
16729 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
16730 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
16731 them next time it starts.
16733 Virtual server settings:
16736 @item nnml-directory
16737 @vindex nnml-directory
16738 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
16739 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
16742 @item nnml-active-file
16743 @vindex nnml-active-file
16744 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
16745 @file{~/Mail/active}.
16747 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
16748 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
16749 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16750 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
16752 @item nnml-get-new-mail
16753 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
16754 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
16757 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
16758 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
16759 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16760 default is @code{nil}.
16762 @item nnml-nov-file-name
16763 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
16764 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
16766 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16767 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
16768 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
16770 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
16771 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
16772 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16773 default is @code{nil}.
16775 @item nnml-marks-file-name
16776 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
16777 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
16779 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
16780 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
16781 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
16782 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
16783 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
16784 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
16785 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
16786 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
16787 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
16789 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16790 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
16791 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
16792 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
16793 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
16797 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
16798 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
16799 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
16800 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
16801 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
16802 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
16803 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
16808 @subsubsection MH Spool
16810 @cindex mh-e mail spool
16812 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
16813 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
16814 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
16815 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
16818 Virtual server settings:
16821 @item nnmh-directory
16822 @vindex nnmh-directory
16823 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
16824 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
16827 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
16828 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
16829 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
16833 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
16834 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
16835 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
16836 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
16837 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
16838 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
16839 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
16844 @subsubsection Maildir
16848 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
16849 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
16850 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
16851 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
16852 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
16855 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
16856 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
16857 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
16858 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
16859 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
16860 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
16861 that appear as group in Gnus.
16863 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
16864 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
16865 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
16867 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
16868 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
16869 another, and you will keep your marks.
16871 Virtual server settings:
16875 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
16876 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
16877 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
16878 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
16879 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
16880 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
16881 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
16882 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
16883 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
16884 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
16886 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
16887 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
16888 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
16889 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
16890 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
16891 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
16892 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
16893 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
16894 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
16895 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
16898 @item target-prefix
16899 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
16900 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
16901 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
16904 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
16905 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
16906 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
16907 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
16908 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
16909 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
16910 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
16911 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
16912 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
16914 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
16915 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
16916 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
16917 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
16918 symlinks pointing to them will be).
16920 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
16921 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
16922 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
16923 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
16924 @code{force} argument.
16926 @item directory-files
16927 This should be a function with the same interface as
16928 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
16929 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
16930 parameter is optional; the default is
16931 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
16932 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
16933 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
16934 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
16935 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
16936 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
16939 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
16940 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
16941 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
16942 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
16943 value is @code{nil}.
16945 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
16946 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
16947 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
16948 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
16949 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
16952 @subsubsection Group parameters
16954 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
16955 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
16956 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
16957 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
16958 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
16959 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
16962 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
16963 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
16964 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
16965 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
16966 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
16967 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
16968 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
16969 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
16970 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
16974 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
16975 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
16976 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
16977 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
16978 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
16979 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
16980 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
16981 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
16982 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
16983 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
16984 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
16985 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
16986 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
16989 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
16991 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
16993 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
16994 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
16995 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
16996 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
16997 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
16998 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
16999 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
17000 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
17001 article. So that form can refer to
17002 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
17003 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
17004 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
17005 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
17008 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
17009 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
17010 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
17011 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
17012 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
17013 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
17014 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
17015 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
17016 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
17017 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
17018 contain extra copies of the articles.
17020 @item directory-files
17021 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
17022 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
17023 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
17024 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
17026 @item distrust-Lines:
17027 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
17028 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
17029 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
17032 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
17033 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17034 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
17035 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
17036 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
17037 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17040 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
17041 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
17042 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
17043 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
17044 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
17045 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
17046 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
17048 @item nov-cache-size
17049 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
17050 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
17051 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
17052 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
17053 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
17054 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
17055 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
17056 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
17057 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
17058 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
17059 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
17062 @subsubsection Article identification
17063 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
17064 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
17065 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
17066 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
17067 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
17068 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
17069 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
17070 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
17071 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
17072 request the article in the summary buffer.
17074 @subsubsection NOV data
17075 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
17076 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
17077 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
17078 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
17079 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
17080 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
17081 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
17082 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
17083 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
17084 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
17085 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
17087 @subsubsection Article marks
17088 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
17089 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
17090 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17091 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
17092 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
17093 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
17094 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
17095 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
17097 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
17098 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
17099 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
17100 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
17101 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
17102 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
17103 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
17104 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
17105 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
17109 @subsubsection Mail Folders
17111 @cindex mbox folders
17112 @cindex mail folders
17114 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
17115 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
17116 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
17117 numbers and arrival dates.
17119 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
17121 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
17122 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
17123 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
17124 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
17125 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
17126 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
17127 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
17128 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
17129 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
17130 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
17132 Virtual server settings:
17135 @item nnfolder-directory
17136 @vindex nnfolder-directory
17137 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
17138 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
17139 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
17141 @item nnfolder-active-file
17142 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
17143 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
17145 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17146 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
17147 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
17148 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
17150 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
17151 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
17152 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
17153 default is @code{t}
17155 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17156 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
17157 @cindex backup files
17158 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
17159 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
17160 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
17161 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
17164 (defun turn-off-backup ()
17165 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
17167 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
17170 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17171 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
17172 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
17173 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
17174 extract some information from it before removing it.
17176 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17177 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
17178 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
17179 default is @code{nil}.
17181 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17182 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
17183 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
17185 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
17186 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
17187 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
17188 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17190 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17191 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
17192 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
17193 default is @code{nil}.
17195 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17196 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
17197 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
17199 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
17200 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
17201 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
17202 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
17207 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
17208 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
17209 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
17210 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
17211 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
17212 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
17215 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
17216 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
17218 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
17219 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
17220 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
17221 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
17222 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
17224 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
17225 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
17226 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
17227 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
17228 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
17229 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
17230 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
17231 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
17234 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
17235 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
17236 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
17237 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
17242 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
17243 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
17244 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
17245 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
17246 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
17247 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
17248 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
17249 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
17250 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
17251 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
17252 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
17253 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
17254 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
17259 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
17260 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
17261 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
17262 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
17263 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
17264 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
17265 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
17266 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
17267 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
17268 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
17269 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
17270 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
17271 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
17272 course, and is still maintained within Emacs. Since Emacs 23, it
17273 uses standard mbox format rather than Babyl.
17275 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
17276 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
17281 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
17282 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
17283 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
17284 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
17285 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
17286 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
17287 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
17288 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
17289 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
17290 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
17291 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
17292 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
17293 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
17294 provided by the active file and overviews.
17296 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
17297 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
17298 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
17299 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
17300 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
17303 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
17304 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
17309 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
17310 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
17311 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
17312 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
17313 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
17314 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
17315 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
17319 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
17320 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
17321 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
17322 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
17323 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
17324 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
17325 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
17326 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
17327 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
17329 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
17330 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
17331 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
17332 friendly mail back end all over.
17336 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
17337 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
17340 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
17341 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
17342 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
17343 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
17344 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
17345 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
17346 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
17347 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
17350 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
17351 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
17352 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
17353 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
17354 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
17355 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
17356 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
17357 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
17358 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
17359 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
17360 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
17362 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
17363 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
17364 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
17365 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
17366 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
17369 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
17370 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
17371 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
17372 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
17373 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
17374 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
17375 removed in the future.
17377 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
17378 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
17379 on your file system.
17381 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
17382 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
17387 @node Browsing the Web
17388 @section Browsing the Web
17390 @cindex browsing the web
17394 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
17395 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
17396 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
17397 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
17398 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
17399 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
17400 even know what a news group is.
17402 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
17403 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
17404 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
17405 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
17406 you mad in the end.
17408 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
17411 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
17412 interfaces to these sources.
17416 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
17417 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
17418 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
17419 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
17420 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
17421 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
17424 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
17425 alternatives to work.
17427 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
17428 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
17429 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
17430 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
17431 though, you should be ok.
17433 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
17434 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
17435 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
17436 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
17437 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
17439 @node Archiving Mail
17440 @subsection Archiving Mail
17441 @cindex archiving mail
17442 @cindex backup of mail
17444 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
17445 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
17446 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
17447 marks is fairly simple.
17449 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
17450 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
17453 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
17454 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
17455 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
17456 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
17457 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
17458 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
17459 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
17460 before you restore the data.
17462 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
17463 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
17464 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
17465 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
17466 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
17467 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
17468 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
17469 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
17470 is unnecessary in that case.
17473 @subsection Web Searches
17478 @cindex Usenet searches
17479 @cindex searching the Usenet
17481 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
17482 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
17483 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
17484 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
17485 searches without having to use a browser.
17487 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
17488 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
17489 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
17490 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
17491 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
17493 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
17494 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
17495 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
17496 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
17497 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
17498 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
17499 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
17500 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
17501 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
17502 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
17505 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
17506 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
17507 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
17508 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
17509 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
17510 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
17512 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
17513 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
17514 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
17516 Virtual server variables:
17521 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
17522 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
17523 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
17526 @vindex nnweb-search
17527 The search string to feed to the search engine.
17529 @item nnweb-max-hits
17530 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
17531 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
17534 @item nnweb-type-definition
17535 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
17536 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
17537 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
17542 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
17546 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
17549 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
17552 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
17556 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
17563 @subsection Slashdot
17567 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
17568 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
17569 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
17571 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
17572 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
17575 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17576 '((nnslashdot "")))
17579 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
17580 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
17581 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
17582 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
17583 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
17586 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
17587 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
17589 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
17590 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
17591 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
17592 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
17593 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
17594 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
17595 @acronym{HTML} forms.
17597 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
17600 @item nnslashdot-threaded
17601 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
17602 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
17603 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
17604 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
17605 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
17606 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
17608 @item nnslashdot-login-name
17609 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
17610 The login name to use when posting.
17612 @item nnslashdot-password
17613 @vindex nnslashdot-password
17614 The password to use when posting.
17616 @item nnslashdot-directory
17617 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
17618 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
17619 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
17621 @item nnslashdot-active-url
17622 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
17623 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
17624 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
17625 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
17627 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
17628 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
17629 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
17631 @item nnslashdot-article-url
17632 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
17633 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
17634 article. The default is
17635 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
17637 @item nnslashdot-threshold
17638 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
17639 The score threshold. The default is -1.
17641 @item nnslashdot-group-number
17642 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
17643 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
17644 updated. The default is 0.
17651 @subsection Ultimate
17653 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
17655 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
17656 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
17657 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
17658 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17660 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
17661 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
17662 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
17663 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
17664 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
17665 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
17666 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
17668 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
17671 @item nnultimate-directory
17672 @vindex nnultimate-directory
17673 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
17674 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
17679 @subsection Web Archive
17681 @cindex Web Archive
17683 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
17684 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
17685 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
17686 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
17689 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
17690 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
17691 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
17692 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
17693 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
17694 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
17695 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
17696 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
17698 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
17701 @item nnwarchive-directory
17702 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
17703 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
17704 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
17706 @item nnwarchive-login
17707 @vindex nnwarchive-login
17708 The account name on the web server.
17710 @item nnwarchive-passwd
17711 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
17712 The password for your account on the web server.
17720 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
17721 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
17722 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
17723 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
17724 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
17726 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
17727 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
17729 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
17730 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
17731 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
17734 @kindex G R (Group)
17735 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
17736 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
17737 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
17738 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
17740 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
17741 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
17742 subscribe to groups.
17744 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
17745 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
17746 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
17747 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
17748 variable or other. Also @xref{Non-ASCII Group Names}, for more
17751 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
17752 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
17753 and a @samp{text/html} part.
17756 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
17757 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
17760 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
17761 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
17765 @defun nnrss-opml-export
17766 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
17767 @acronym{OPML} format.
17770 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
17773 @item nnrss-directory
17774 @vindex nnrss-directory
17775 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
17776 @file{~/News/rss/}.
17778 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
17779 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
17780 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
17781 data files. The default is the value of
17782 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
17783 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
17785 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17786 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
17787 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
17788 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
17789 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
17790 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
17791 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
17792 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
17794 @item nnrss-use-local
17795 @vindex nnrss-use-local
17796 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
17797 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
17798 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
17799 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
17800 download script using @command{wget}.
17802 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
17803 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
17804 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
17805 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
17806 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
17807 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
17808 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
17809 @samp{text/html} parts.
17812 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
17813 the summary buffer.
17816 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
17817 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
17819 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
17821 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
17822 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
17825 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
17829 (require 'browse-url)
17831 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
17833 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
17836 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
17837 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
17840 (browse-url (cdr url))
17841 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
17842 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
17844 (eval-after-load "gnus"
17845 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
17846 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
17847 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
17850 Even if you have added @samp{text/html} to the
17851 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
17852 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
17853 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
17854 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
17855 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
17856 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
17857 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
17858 @code{nnrss} groups:
17861 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
17862 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
17864 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
17865 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
17866 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
17868 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
17871 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
17875 @node Customizing W3
17876 @subsection Customizing W3
17882 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
17883 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
17884 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
17887 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
17888 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
17889 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
17892 (eval-after-load "w3"
17894 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
17895 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
17896 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
17897 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
17899 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
17902 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
17903 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
17910 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
17912 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
17913 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
17914 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
17915 specify the network address of the server.
17917 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
17918 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
17919 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
17920 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
17921 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
17922 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
17924 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
17925 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
17926 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
17927 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
17929 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
17930 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
17931 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
17932 usage explained in this section.
17934 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
17935 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
17936 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
17940 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
17941 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
17942 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
17944 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17945 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
17946 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
17948 (nnimap-server-port 143)
17949 (nnimap-address "localhost")
17950 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
17951 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
17952 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
17953 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
17954 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
17955 (nnimap-stream network))
17956 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
17958 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
17959 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
17960 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
17963 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
17964 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
17965 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
17966 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
17968 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
17973 @item nnimap-address
17974 @vindex nnimap-address
17976 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
17977 server name if not specified.
17979 @item nnimap-server-port
17980 @vindex nnimap-server-port
17981 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
17983 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
17986 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17987 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
17990 @item nnimap-list-pattern
17991 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
17992 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
17993 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
17994 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
17995 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
17996 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
17998 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
17999 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
18000 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
18003 Example server specification:
18006 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18007 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
18008 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
18011 @item nnimap-stream
18012 @vindex nnimap-stream
18013 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
18014 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
18015 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
18016 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
18017 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
18019 Example server specification:
18022 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18023 (nnimap-stream ssl))
18026 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
18030 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
18031 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
18033 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
18035 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
18036 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
18039 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
18040 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
18042 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
18043 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
18045 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
18047 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
18050 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
18051 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
18052 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
18053 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
18054 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
18055 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
18056 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
18057 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
18058 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
18061 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
18062 needed. It is available from
18063 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
18065 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
18066 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
18067 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
18068 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
18069 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
18070 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
18071 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
18074 @vindex imap-ssl-program
18075 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
18076 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
18077 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
18078 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
18079 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
18080 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
18083 @vindex imap-shell-program
18084 @vindex imap-shell-host
18085 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
18086 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
18087 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
18088 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
18090 @item nnimap-authenticator
18091 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
18093 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
18094 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
18096 Example server specification:
18099 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18100 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
18103 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
18107 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
18108 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
18110 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
18113 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
18114 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
18116 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
18118 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
18120 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
18123 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
18125 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
18126 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
18127 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
18128 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
18129 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
18130 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
18133 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
18134 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
18135 running in circles yet?
18137 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
18138 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
18141 The possible options are:
18146 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
18149 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
18150 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
18151 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
18152 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
18154 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
18159 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
18160 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
18162 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
18163 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
18164 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
18165 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
18166 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
18169 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
18170 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
18173 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
18174 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18175 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
18176 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
18179 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
18180 as ticked for other users.
18182 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
18184 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
18185 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18187 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
18188 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
18189 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
18190 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
18192 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
18193 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
18194 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
18195 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
18197 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
18198 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
18199 is reversed, as described below.
18201 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
18202 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
18204 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
18205 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
18206 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
18207 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
18210 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
18213 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
18214 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
18215 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
18216 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
18219 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18220 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
18222 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
18223 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
18226 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
18227 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
18228 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18229 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
18231 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
18232 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
18234 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
18235 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
18236 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
18237 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
18238 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
18239 and false otherwise.
18241 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18242 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
18243 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
18244 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18246 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
18247 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
18248 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
18249 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
18251 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
18252 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
18253 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
18254 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
18255 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
18256 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
18257 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
18258 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
18259 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
18261 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
18262 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
18263 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
18264 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
18265 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
18267 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
18268 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
18270 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
18271 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
18272 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
18273 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
18274 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
18275 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
18276 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
18277 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
18278 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
18279 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
18280 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
18281 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
18282 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
18284 Example server specification:
18287 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
18288 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
18294 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
18295 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
18296 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
18297 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
18298 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
18299 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
18304 @node Splitting in IMAP
18305 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
18306 @cindex splitting imap mail
18308 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
18309 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
18310 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
18311 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
18312 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
18316 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
18317 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
18318 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
18320 Here are the variables of interest:
18324 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
18325 @cindex splitting, crosspost
18327 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
18329 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
18330 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
18331 found will be used.
18333 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
18335 @item nnimap-split-inbox
18336 @cindex splitting, inbox
18338 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
18340 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
18341 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
18342 splitting is disabled!
18345 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
18346 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
18349 No nnmail equivalent.
18351 @item nnimap-split-rule
18352 @cindex splitting, rules
18353 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
18355 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
18358 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
18359 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
18360 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
18361 Neither did I, we need examples.
18364 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18366 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
18367 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
18368 ("INBOX.private" "")))
18371 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
18372 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
18373 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
18375 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
18376 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
18380 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
18383 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
18384 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
18386 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
18387 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
18388 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
18389 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
18391 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
18392 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
18393 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
18394 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
18395 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
18396 them every time you fetch new mail.)
18398 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
18399 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
18400 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
18402 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
18403 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
18404 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18406 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
18408 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
18409 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
18410 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
18413 (setq nnimap-split-rule
18414 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
18415 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
18416 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
18417 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
18418 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
18421 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
18422 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
18423 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
18424 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
18425 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
18426 group/function elements.
18428 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18430 @item nnimap-split-predicate
18432 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
18434 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
18435 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
18437 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
18438 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
18439 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
18442 @item nnimap-split-fancy
18443 @cindex splitting, fancy
18444 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
18445 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
18447 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18448 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
18449 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
18451 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
18452 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
18453 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
18454 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
18459 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
18460 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
18463 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
18465 @item nnimap-split-download-body
18466 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
18467 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
18469 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
18470 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
18471 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
18472 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
18476 @node Expiring in IMAP
18477 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
18478 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
18480 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
18481 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
18482 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
18483 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
18484 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
18485 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
18488 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
18489 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
18490 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
18491 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
18492 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
18493 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
18494 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
18495 messages. Most do, fortunately.
18497 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
18498 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
18502 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
18503 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
18505 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
18506 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
18508 @item nnmail-expiry-target
18510 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
18511 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
18512 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
18513 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
18517 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
18518 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
18519 @cindex editing imap acls
18520 @cindex Access Control Lists
18521 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
18522 @kindex G l (Group)
18523 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
18525 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
18526 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
18527 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
18530 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
18531 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
18532 editing window with detailed instructions.
18534 Some possible uses:
18538 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
18539 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
18540 follow the list without subscribing to it.
18542 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
18543 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
18544 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
18548 @node Expunging mailboxes
18549 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
18553 @cindex manual expunging
18554 @kindex G x (Group)
18555 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
18557 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
18558 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
18559 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
18561 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
18564 @node A note on namespaces
18565 @subsection A note on namespaces
18566 @cindex IMAP namespace
18569 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
18570 by the following text in the RFC2060:
18573 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
18575 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
18576 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
18577 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
18578 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
18580 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
18581 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
18582 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
18583 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
18584 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
18585 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
18588 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
18589 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
18590 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
18592 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
18593 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
18594 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
18595 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
18596 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
18597 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
18598 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
18599 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
18602 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
18603 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
18604 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
18606 @node Debugging IMAP
18607 @subsection Debugging IMAP
18608 @cindex IMAP debugging
18609 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
18611 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
18612 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
18613 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
18614 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
18616 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
18617 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
18618 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
18619 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
18620 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
18621 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
18622 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
18626 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
18627 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
18634 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
18635 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
18636 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
18637 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
18640 @node Other Sources
18641 @section Other Sources
18643 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
18644 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
18648 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
18649 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
18650 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
18651 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
18652 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
18656 @node Directory Groups
18657 @subsection Directory Groups
18659 @cindex directory groups
18661 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
18662 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
18665 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
18666 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
18667 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
18668 back end to read directories. Big deal.
18670 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
18671 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
18672 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
18673 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
18674 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
18676 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
18678 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
18679 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
18680 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
18681 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
18684 @node Anything Groups
18685 @subsection Anything Groups
18688 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
18689 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
18690 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
18693 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
18694 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
18695 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
18696 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
18697 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
18698 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
18699 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
18700 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
18701 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
18702 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
18705 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
18706 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
18707 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
18708 in the article buffer, just as usual.
18710 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
18711 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
18712 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
18713 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
18715 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
18716 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
18717 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
18718 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
18719 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
18720 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
18721 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
18722 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
18727 @item nneething-map-file-directory
18728 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
18729 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
18730 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
18732 @item nneething-exclude-files
18733 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
18734 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
18735 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
18737 @item nneething-include-files
18738 @vindex nneething-include-files
18739 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
18740 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
18742 @item nneething-map-file
18743 @vindex nneething-map-file
18744 Name of the map files.
18748 @node Document Groups
18749 @subsection Document Groups
18751 @cindex documentation group
18754 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
18755 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
18765 The standard Unix mbox file.
18767 @cindex MMDF mail box
18769 The MMDF mail box format.
18772 Several news articles appended into a file.
18774 @cindex rnews batch files
18776 The rnews batch transport format.
18779 Netscape mail boxes.
18782 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
18784 @item standard-digest
18785 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
18788 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
18790 @item lanl-gov-announce
18791 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
18793 @cindex forwarded messages
18794 @item rfc822-forward
18795 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
18798 The Outlook mail box.
18801 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
18804 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
18807 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
18810 An RFC934-forwarded message.
18816 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
18819 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
18825 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
18826 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
18827 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
18830 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
18831 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
18832 group. And that's it.
18834 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
18835 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
18836 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
18837 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
18838 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
18839 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
18840 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
18841 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
18842 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
18843 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
18845 Virtual server variables:
18848 @item nndoc-article-type
18849 @vindex nndoc-article-type
18850 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
18851 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
18852 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
18853 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
18854 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
18856 @item nndoc-post-type
18857 @vindex nndoc-post-type
18858 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
18859 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
18864 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
18868 @node Document Server Internals
18869 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
18871 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
18872 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
18873 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
18874 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
18876 First, here's an example document type definition:
18880 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
18881 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
18884 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
18885 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
18886 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
18887 types can be defined with very few settings:
18890 @item first-article
18891 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
18892 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
18895 @item article-begin
18896 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
18897 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
18898 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
18899 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
18901 @item article-begin-function
18902 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
18903 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
18906 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
18907 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
18908 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
18910 @item head-begin-function
18911 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
18912 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
18915 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
18916 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
18919 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
18920 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
18921 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
18923 @item body-begin-function
18924 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
18925 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
18928 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
18929 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
18930 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
18932 @item body-end-function
18933 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
18934 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
18937 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
18938 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
18941 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
18942 regexp will be totally ignored.
18946 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
18947 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
18948 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
18949 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
18950 something that's palatable for Gnus:
18953 @item prepare-body-function
18954 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
18955 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
18956 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
18958 @item article-transform-function
18959 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
18960 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
18961 body of the article.
18963 @item generate-head-function
18964 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
18965 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
18966 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
18967 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
18969 @item generate-article-function
18970 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
18971 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
18972 parameter when requesting all articles.
18974 @item dissection-function
18975 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
18976 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
18977 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
18978 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
18979 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
18980 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
18984 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
18989 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18990 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
18991 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
18992 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
18993 (head-end . "^ ?$")
18994 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
18995 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
18996 (subtype digest guess))
18999 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
19000 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
19001 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
19002 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
19003 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
19005 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
19006 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
19007 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
19008 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
19009 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
19010 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
19011 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
19012 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
19013 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
19014 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
19015 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
19016 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
19024 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
19025 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
19026 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
19028 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
19029 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
19030 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
19033 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
19034 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
19035 that interested in doing things properly.
19037 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
19038 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
19041 First some terminology:
19046 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
19047 get news and/or mail from.
19050 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
19051 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
19054 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
19058 @item message packets
19059 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
19060 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
19061 default, where @var{x} is a number.
19063 @item response packets
19064 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
19065 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
19066 default, where @var{x} is a number.
19076 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
19077 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
19078 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
19079 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
19082 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
19085 You put the packet in your home directory.
19088 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
19089 the native or secondary server.
19092 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
19093 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
19096 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
19100 You transfer this packet to the server.
19103 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
19106 You then repeat until you die.
19110 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
19111 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
19114 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
19115 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
19116 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
19120 @node SOUP Commands
19121 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
19123 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
19127 @kindex G s b (Group)
19128 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
19129 Pack all unread articles in the current group
19130 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
19131 process/prefix convention.
19134 @kindex G s w (Group)
19135 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
19136 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
19139 @kindex G s s (Group)
19140 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
19141 Send all replies from the replies packet
19142 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
19145 @kindex G s p (Group)
19146 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
19147 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
19150 @kindex G s r (Group)
19151 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
19152 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
19155 @kindex O s (Summary)
19156 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
19157 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
19158 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
19159 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19164 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
19169 @item gnus-soup-directory
19170 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
19171 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
19172 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
19174 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
19175 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
19176 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
19177 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
19179 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
19180 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
19181 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
19182 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
19184 @item gnus-soup-packer
19185 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
19186 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
19187 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
19189 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
19190 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
19191 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
19192 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19194 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
19195 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
19196 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
19198 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19199 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
19200 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
19201 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
19207 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
19210 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
19211 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
19212 you can read them at leisure.
19214 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
19218 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
19219 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
19220 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
19221 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
19223 @item nnsoup-directory
19224 @vindex nnsoup-directory
19225 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
19226 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
19228 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
19229 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
19230 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
19231 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
19233 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
19234 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
19235 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
19236 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
19237 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
19239 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
19240 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
19241 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
19242 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
19244 @item nnsoup-active-file
19245 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
19246 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
19247 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
19248 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
19249 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
19251 @item nnsoup-packer
19252 @vindex nnsoup-packer
19253 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
19254 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
19256 @item nnsoup-unpacker
19257 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
19258 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
19259 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
19261 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
19262 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
19263 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
19266 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
19267 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
19268 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
19271 @item nnsoup-always-save
19272 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
19273 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
19279 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
19281 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
19282 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
19283 more for that to happen.
19285 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
19286 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
19287 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
19290 In specific, this is what it does:
19293 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
19294 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
19297 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
19298 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
19299 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
19302 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
19303 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
19304 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
19307 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
19308 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
19309 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
19311 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
19317 @item nngateway-address
19318 @vindex nngateway-address
19319 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
19321 @item nngateway-header-transformation
19322 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
19323 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
19324 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
19325 transformation should be called, and defaults to
19326 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
19327 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
19330 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
19331 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
19332 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
19335 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
19338 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
19341 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
19344 The following pre-defined functions exist:
19346 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19349 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
19350 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19351 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
19353 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19355 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
19356 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
19357 @code{nngateway-address}.
19365 (setq gnus-post-method
19367 "mail2news@@replay.com"
19368 (nngateway-header-transformation
19369 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
19372 So, to use this, simply say something like:
19375 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
19380 @node Combined Groups
19381 @section Combined Groups
19383 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
19387 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
19388 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
19392 @node Virtual Groups
19393 @subsection Virtual Groups
19395 @cindex virtual groups
19396 @cindex merging groups
19398 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
19401 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
19402 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
19403 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
19405 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
19406 regexp to match component groups.
19408 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
19409 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
19410 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
19411 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
19412 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
19413 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
19414 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
19415 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
19417 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
19418 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
19421 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
19424 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
19425 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
19427 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
19428 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
19429 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
19430 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
19433 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
19436 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
19437 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
19438 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
19440 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
19441 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
19442 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
19443 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
19444 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
19446 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
19447 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
19448 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
19450 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
19451 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
19452 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
19453 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
19454 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
19455 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
19456 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
19457 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
19458 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
19459 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
19460 it---it'll have much the same effect.
19462 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
19463 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
19464 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
19465 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
19466 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
19467 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
19468 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
19470 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
19471 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
19473 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
19474 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
19478 @node Kibozed Groups
19479 @subsection Kibozed Groups
19483 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
19484 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
19485 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
19486 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
19488 @kindex G k (Group)
19489 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
19492 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
19493 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
19494 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
19495 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
19497 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
19498 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
19499 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
19501 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
19502 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
19503 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
19504 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
19505 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
19506 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
19507 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
19508 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
19510 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
19511 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
19512 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
19513 Stranger things have happened.
19515 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
19516 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
19518 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
19519 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
19520 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
19521 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
19522 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
19523 information on what groups have been searched through to find
19524 component articles.
19526 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
19527 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
19530 @node Email Based Diary
19531 @section Email Based Diary
19533 @cindex email based diary
19536 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
19537 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
19538 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
19539 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
19540 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
19541 namely, as event reminders.
19543 Here is a typical scenario:
19547 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
19548 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
19550 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
19552 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
19554 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
19555 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
19556 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
19558 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
19559 of the night you're gonna have.
19561 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
19562 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
19565 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
19566 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
19567 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
19568 explained in the sections below.
19571 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
19572 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
19573 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
19577 @node The NNDiary Back End
19578 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
19580 @cindex the nndiary back end
19582 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
19583 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
19584 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
19585 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
19586 directory per group.
19588 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
19589 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
19590 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
19591 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
19594 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
19595 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
19596 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
19599 @node Diary Messages
19600 @subsubsection Diary Messages
19601 @cindex nndiary messages
19602 @cindex nndiary mails
19604 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
19605 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
19606 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
19607 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
19608 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
19609 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
19610 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
19614 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
19615 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
19616 (separated by a comma).
19618 A field is either an integer, or a range.
19620 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
19622 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
19623 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
19624 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
19626 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
19627 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
19628 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
19630 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
19631 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
19632 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
19633 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
19634 list of available time zone values, see the variable
19635 @code{nndiary-headers}.
19638 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
19639 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
19640 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
19645 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
19648 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
19650 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
19653 @node Running NNDiary
19654 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
19655 @cindex running nndiary
19656 @cindex nndiary operation modes
19658 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
19659 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
19660 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
19661 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
19662 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
19663 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
19665 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
19666 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
19667 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
19668 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
19669 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
19670 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
19671 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
19674 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
19679 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
19680 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19683 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
19686 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
19687 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
19688 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
19689 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
19690 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
19692 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
19693 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
19702 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
19703 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
19705 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
19706 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19707 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
19708 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
19711 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
19712 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
19713 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
19716 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
19717 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
19718 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
19720 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
19721 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
19722 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
19723 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
19724 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
19726 @node Customizing NNDiary
19727 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
19728 @cindex customizing nndiary
19729 @cindex nndiary customization
19731 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
19732 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
19733 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
19734 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
19736 @defvar nndiary-reminders
19737 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
19738 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
19739 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
19740 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
19744 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
19745 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
19750 @node The Gnus Diary Library
19751 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
19753 @cindex the gnus diary library
19755 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
19756 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
19757 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
19758 useful things for you.
19760 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
19763 (require 'gnus-diary)
19766 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
19767 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
19768 (sorry if you used them before).
19772 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
19773 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
19774 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
19775 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
19778 @node Diary Summary Line Format
19779 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
19780 @cindex diary summary buffer line
19781 @cindex diary summary line format
19783 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
19784 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
19785 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
19786 see the event's date.
19788 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
19789 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
19790 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
19791 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
19792 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
19794 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
19795 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
19796 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
19799 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
19802 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
19803 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
19806 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
19809 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
19810 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
19811 with the following user options:
19813 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
19814 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
19815 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
19816 diary groups'parameters.
19819 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
19820 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
19821 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
19824 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
19825 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
19826 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
19827 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
19828 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
19831 @node Diary Articles Sorting
19832 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
19833 @cindex diary articles sorting
19834 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
19835 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
19836 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
19837 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
19839 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
19840 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
19841 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
19842 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
19843 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
19845 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
19846 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
19847 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
19848 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
19851 @node Diary Headers Generation
19852 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
19853 @cindex diary headers generation
19854 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
19856 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
19857 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
19858 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
19859 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
19862 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
19863 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
19864 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c C-f d} in
19865 @code{message-mode} and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the
19866 process of converting a usual mail to a diary one.
19868 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
19869 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
19870 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
19873 @node Diary Group Parameters
19874 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
19875 @cindex diary group parameters
19877 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
19878 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
19879 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
19880 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
19881 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
19882 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
19883 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
19884 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
19886 @node Sending or Not Sending
19887 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
19889 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
19890 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
19894 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
19895 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
19896 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
19897 sending the diary message to them as well.
19899 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
19900 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
19901 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
19902 comes in very handy for private appointments.
19905 @node Gnus Unplugged
19906 @section Gnus Unplugged
19911 @cindex Gnus unplugged
19913 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
19914 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
19915 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
19916 read news. Believe it or not.
19918 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
19919 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
19920 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
19921 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
19922 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
19924 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
19925 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
19926 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
19927 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
19928 reading news on a machine.
19930 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
19931 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
19932 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
19934 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
19937 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
19938 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
19939 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
19940 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
19941 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
19942 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
19943 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
19944 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
19945 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
19946 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
19947 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
19948 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
19949 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
19950 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
19955 @subsection Agent Basics
19957 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
19959 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
19960 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
19961 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
19962 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
19964 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
19965 connected to the net continuously.
19967 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
19968 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
19970 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
19971 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
19972 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
19973 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
19974 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
19976 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
19977 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
19978 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
19979 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
19980 they're kinda like plugged always).
19982 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
19983 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
19984 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
19987 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
19988 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
19989 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
19990 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
19991 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
19993 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
19998 @findex gnus-unplugged
19999 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
20000 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
20001 already fetched while in this mode.
20004 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
20005 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
20006 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
20007 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
20008 Source Specifiers}).
20011 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
20012 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
20013 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
20014 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
20015 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
20018 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
20019 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
20020 then you read the news offline.
20023 And then you go to step 2.
20026 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
20032 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
20033 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
20034 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
20035 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
20036 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
20037 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
20038 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
20039 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
20042 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
20043 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
20044 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
20045 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
20047 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
20048 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
20049 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
20050 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
20051 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
20052 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
20056 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
20060 @node Agent Categories
20061 @subsection Agent Categories
20063 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
20064 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
20065 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
20066 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
20067 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
20068 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
20069 you're interested in the articles anyway.
20071 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
20072 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
20073 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
20074 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
20075 buffer for creating and managing categories.
20077 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
20078 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
20079 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
20080 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
20081 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
20084 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
20085 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
20086 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
20087 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
20088 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
20089 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
20093 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
20094 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
20095 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
20099 @node Category Syntax
20100 @subsubsection Category Syntax
20102 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
20103 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
20104 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
20107 @cindex Agent Parameters
20110 The list of groups that are in this category.
20112 @item agent-predicate
20113 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
20114 are eligible for downloading; and
20117 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
20118 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
20119 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
20121 @item agent-enable-expiration
20122 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
20123 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
20124 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
20125 only groups that should not be expired.
20127 @item agent-days-until-old
20128 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
20129 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
20131 @item agent-low-score
20132 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
20134 @item agent-high-score
20135 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
20137 @item agent-short-article
20138 an integer that overrides the value of
20139 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
20141 @item agent-long-article
20142 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
20144 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
20145 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
20146 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
20147 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
20148 undownloaded faces.
20151 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
20154 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
20155 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
20156 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
20159 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
20160 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
20161 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
20162 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
20164 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
20165 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
20166 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
20168 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
20169 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
20170 operators sprinkled in between.
20172 Perhaps some examples are in order.
20174 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
20175 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
20181 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
20182 short (for some value of ``short'').
20184 Here's a more complex predicate:
20193 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
20194 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
20197 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
20198 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
20199 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
20201 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
20202 you want to do, you can write your own.
20204 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
20205 bound to the value determined by calling
20206 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
20207 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
20208 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
20209 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
20210 predicate to individual groups.
20214 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
20215 lines; default 100.
20218 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
20219 lines; default 200.
20222 True if the article has a download score less than
20223 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
20226 True if the article has a download score greater than
20227 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
20230 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
20231 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
20232 checksum and sees whether articles match.
20241 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
20242 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
20243 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
20246 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
20247 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
20248 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
20249 something along the lines of the following:
20252 (defun my-article-old-p ()
20253 "Say whether an article is old."
20254 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
20255 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
20258 with the predicate then defined as:
20261 (not my-article-old-p)
20264 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
20265 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
20269 (require 'gnus-agent)
20270 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
20271 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
20272 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
20275 and simply specify your predicate as:
20281 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
20282 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
20283 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
20284 just don't give a damn.
20286 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
20287 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
20288 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
20289 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
20290 parameters like so:
20293 (agent-predicate . short)
20296 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
20297 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
20298 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
20300 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
20303 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
20306 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
20307 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
20308 predicate is assumed to be a list.
20311 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
20312 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
20313 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
20314 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
20315 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
20316 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
20318 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
20319 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
20320 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
20321 if it's to be specific to that group.
20323 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
20330 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
20331 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
20337 Category specification
20341 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20347 Group/Topic Parameter specification
20350 (agent-score ("from"
20351 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
20356 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
20362 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
20363 keywords stated above.
20369 Category specification
20372 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
20378 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
20382 Group Parameter specification
20385 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
20388 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
20393 Use @code{normal} score files
20395 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
20396 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
20397 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
20398 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
20400 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
20401 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
20402 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
20403 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
20407 Category Specification
20414 Group Parameter specification
20417 (agent-score . file)
20422 @node Category Buffer
20423 @subsubsection Category Buffer
20425 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
20426 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
20427 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
20429 The following commands are available in this buffer:
20433 @kindex q (Category)
20434 @findex gnus-category-exit
20435 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
20438 @kindex e (Category)
20439 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
20440 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
20441 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
20444 @kindex k (Category)
20445 @findex gnus-category-kill
20446 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
20449 @kindex c (Category)
20450 @findex gnus-category-copy
20451 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
20454 @kindex a (Category)
20455 @findex gnus-category-add
20456 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
20459 @kindex p (Category)
20460 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
20461 Edit the predicate of the current category
20462 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
20465 @kindex g (Category)
20466 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
20467 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
20468 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
20471 @kindex s (Category)
20472 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
20473 Edit the download score rule of the current category
20474 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
20477 @kindex l (Category)
20478 @findex gnus-category-list
20479 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
20483 @node Category Variables
20484 @subsubsection Category Variables
20487 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
20488 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
20489 Hook run in category buffers.
20491 @item gnus-category-line-format
20492 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
20493 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
20494 Variables}). Valid elements are:
20498 The name of the category.
20501 The number of groups in the category.
20504 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
20505 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
20506 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
20508 @item gnus-agent-short-article
20509 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
20510 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
20512 @item gnus-agent-long-article
20513 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
20514 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
20516 @item gnus-agent-low-score
20517 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
20518 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
20521 @item gnus-agent-high-score
20522 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
20523 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
20526 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
20527 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20528 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
20529 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
20530 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
20531 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
20532 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
20533 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
20537 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20538 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
20539 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
20540 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
20541 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
20542 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
20543 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
20548 @node Agent Commands
20549 @subsection Agent Commands
20550 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
20551 @kindex J j (Agent)
20553 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
20554 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
20555 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
20559 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
20560 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
20561 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
20567 @node Group Agent Commands
20568 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
20572 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
20573 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
20574 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
20575 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
20578 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
20579 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
20580 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
20583 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
20584 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
20585 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
20586 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
20589 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
20590 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
20591 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
20592 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
20595 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
20596 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
20597 Add the current group to an Agent category
20598 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
20599 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20602 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
20603 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
20604 Remove the current group from its category, if any
20605 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
20606 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
20609 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
20610 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20611 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
20617 @node Summary Agent Commands
20618 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
20622 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
20623 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
20624 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
20627 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
20628 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
20629 Remove the downloading mark from the article
20630 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
20634 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
20635 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
20636 Toggle whether to download the article
20637 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
20641 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
20642 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
20643 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
20646 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
20647 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
20648 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
20649 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
20652 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
20653 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
20654 Download all processable articles in this group.
20655 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
20658 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
20659 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
20660 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
20661 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
20666 @node Server Agent Commands
20667 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
20671 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
20672 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
20673 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
20674 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
20677 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
20678 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
20679 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
20680 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
20685 @node Agent Visuals
20686 @subsection Agent Visuals
20688 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
20689 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
20690 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
20691 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
20692 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
20693 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
20694 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
20695 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
20696 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
20697 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
20699 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
20700 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
20701 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
20702 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
20703 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
20704 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
20705 the download status of each article so that you always know which
20706 articles will be available when unplugged.
20708 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
20709 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
20710 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
20711 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
20712 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
20713 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
20714 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
20715 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
20717 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
20718 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
20719 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
20720 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
20721 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
20722 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
20723 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
20724 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
20725 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
20727 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
20728 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
20729 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
20730 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
20731 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
20732 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
20733 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
20734 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
20735 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
20736 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
20738 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
20739 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
20740 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
20741 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
20742 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
20743 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20745 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
20746 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
20747 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
20748 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
20749 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
20750 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
20751 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
20752 expiring'' articles.
20754 @node Agent as Cache
20755 @subsection Agent as Cache
20757 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
20758 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
20759 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
20760 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
20761 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
20762 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
20763 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
20764 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
20765 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
20767 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
20768 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
20769 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
20770 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
20771 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
20774 @subsection Agent Expiry
20776 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
20777 @findex gnus-agent-expire
20778 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
20779 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
20780 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
20781 @cindex agent expiry
20782 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
20783 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
20785 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
20786 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
20787 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
20788 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
20789 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
20790 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
20791 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
20792 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
20794 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
20795 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
20796 synchronized with the group.
20798 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
20799 prevent expiration in selected groups.
20801 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
20802 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
20803 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
20804 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
20805 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
20806 be kept indefinitely.
20808 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
20809 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
20810 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
20811 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
20813 @node Agent Regeneration
20814 @subsection Agent Regeneration
20816 @cindex agent regeneration
20817 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
20818 @cindex regeneration
20820 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
20821 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
20822 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
20823 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
20824 internal inconsistencies.
20826 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
20827 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
20828 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
20829 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
20830 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
20831 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
20833 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
20834 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
20835 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
20836 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
20837 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
20838 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
20840 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20841 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
20842 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
20843 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
20844 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
20845 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
20848 @node Agent and flags
20849 @subsection Agent and flags
20851 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
20852 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
20853 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
20854 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
20855 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
20856 to the flags in its own files.
20858 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
20859 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
20860 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
20862 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20863 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20864 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20865 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20866 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20867 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20869 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
20870 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
20871 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
20872 in the group buffer.
20874 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
20875 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
20876 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
20877 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
20878 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
20879 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
20880 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
20881 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
20883 @node Agent and IMAP
20884 @subsection Agent and IMAP
20886 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
20887 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
20888 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
20889 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
20891 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
20892 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
20897 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
20900 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
20904 @node Outgoing Messages
20905 @subsection Outgoing Messages
20907 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
20908 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
20909 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
20911 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
20912 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
20913 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
20915 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
20916 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
20917 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
20918 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
20921 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
20922 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
20923 ask you to confirm your action (see
20924 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
20926 @node Agent Variables
20927 @subsection Agent Variables
20932 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
20933 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
20934 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
20935 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
20937 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
20938 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
20941 @item gnus-agent-directory
20942 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
20943 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
20944 @file{~/News/agent/}.
20946 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
20947 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
20948 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
20949 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
20950 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
20953 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20954 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
20955 Hook run when connecting to the network.
20957 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20958 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
20959 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
20961 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20962 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
20963 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
20965 @item gnus-agent-cache
20966 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
20967 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
20968 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
20969 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
20971 @item gnus-agent-go-online
20972 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
20973 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
20974 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
20975 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
20976 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
20977 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
20980 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20981 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
20982 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
20983 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
20984 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
20985 read. The default is @code{t}.
20987 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20988 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
20989 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
20990 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
20991 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
20992 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
20993 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
20995 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20996 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
20997 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
20998 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
20999 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
21000 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
21001 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
21002 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
21003 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
21004 over and over again.
21006 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
21007 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
21008 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
21009 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
21010 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
21011 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
21012 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
21013 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
21014 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
21015 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
21016 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
21017 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
21020 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
21021 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
21022 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
21023 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
21024 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
21025 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
21026 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
21027 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
21028 is only valid if the Agent is used.
21030 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
21031 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
21032 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
21033 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
21034 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
21035 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
21037 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
21038 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
21039 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
21040 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
21041 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
21043 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
21044 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
21045 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
21046 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
21047 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
21048 mail. The default is @code{t}.
21050 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
21051 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
21052 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
21053 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
21054 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
21056 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
21057 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
21058 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
21059 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
21060 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
21061 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
21062 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
21063 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
21064 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
21065 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
21066 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
21071 @node Example Setup
21072 @subsection Example Setup
21074 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
21075 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
21076 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
21079 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
21080 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
21081 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
21083 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
21084 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
21085 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
21087 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
21088 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
21090 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
21091 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
21092 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
21095 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
21096 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
21099 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
21100 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
21101 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
21102 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
21103 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
21106 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
21107 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
21108 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
21109 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
21110 back all the killed groups.)
21112 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
21113 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
21114 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
21117 @node Batching Agents
21118 @subsection Batching Agents
21119 @findex gnus-agent-batch
21121 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
21122 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
21123 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
21125 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
21126 following incantation:
21130 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
21134 @node Agent Caveats
21135 @subsection Agent Caveats
21137 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
21138 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
21142 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
21144 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
21145 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
21146 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
21148 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
21149 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
21151 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
21155 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
21156 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
21157 locally stored articles.
21164 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
21165 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
21166 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
21169 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
21170 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
21171 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
21172 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
21173 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
21175 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
21176 before generating the summary buffer.
21178 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
21179 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
21180 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
21182 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
21183 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
21184 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
21185 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
21188 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
21189 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
21190 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
21191 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
21192 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
21193 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
21194 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
21195 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
21196 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
21197 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
21198 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
21199 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
21200 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
21201 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
21202 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
21203 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
21207 @node Summary Score Commands
21208 @section Summary Score Commands
21209 @cindex score commands
21211 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
21212 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
21213 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
21214 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
21215 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
21217 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
21218 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
21219 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
21220 score file the current one.
21222 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
21227 @kindex V s (Summary)
21228 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
21229 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
21232 @kindex V S (Summary)
21233 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
21234 Display the score of the current article
21235 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
21238 @kindex V t (Summary)
21239 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
21240 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
21241 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
21242 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
21243 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
21244 score file and edit it.
21247 @kindex V w (Summary)
21248 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
21249 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
21252 @kindex V R (Summary)
21253 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
21254 Run the current summary through the scoring process
21255 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
21256 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
21257 effect you're having.
21260 @kindex V c (Summary)
21261 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
21262 Make a different score file the current
21263 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
21266 @kindex V e (Summary)
21267 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
21268 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
21269 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
21273 @kindex V f (Summary)
21274 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
21275 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
21276 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
21279 @kindex V F (Summary)
21280 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21281 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
21282 after editing score files.
21285 @kindex V C (Summary)
21286 @findex gnus-score-customize
21287 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
21288 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
21292 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
21297 @kindex V m (Summary)
21298 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
21299 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
21300 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
21303 @kindex V x (Summary)
21304 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
21305 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
21306 expunge all articles below this score
21307 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
21310 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
21311 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
21314 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
21315 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
21319 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
21320 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
21322 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
21323 keys are available:
21327 Score on the author name.
21330 Score on the subject line.
21333 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
21336 Score on the @code{References} line.
21342 Score on the number of lines.
21345 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
21348 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
21349 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
21352 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
21353 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
21354 @file{ADAPT} files.)
21363 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
21369 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
21370 what headers you are scoring on.
21382 Substring matching.
21385 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
21414 Greater than number.
21419 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
21420 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
21421 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
21426 Temporary score entry.
21429 Permanent score entry.
21432 Immediately scoring.
21436 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
21437 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
21438 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
21442 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
21443 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
21444 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
21445 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
21447 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
21448 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
21449 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
21450 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
21451 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
21453 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
21454 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
21455 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
21456 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
21457 current score file.
21459 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
21460 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
21461 pretend they are keymaps or not.
21464 @node Group Score Commands
21465 @section Group Score Commands
21466 @cindex group score commands
21468 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
21473 @kindex W e (Group)
21474 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
21475 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
21476 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
21479 @kindex W f (Group)
21480 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
21481 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
21482 all the time. This command will flush the cache
21483 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
21487 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
21489 @findex gnus-batch-score
21490 @cindex batch scoring
21492 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
21496 @node Score Variables
21497 @section Score Variables
21498 @cindex score variables
21502 @item gnus-use-scoring
21503 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
21504 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
21505 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
21507 @item gnus-kill-killed
21508 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
21509 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
21510 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
21511 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
21512 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
21513 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
21514 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
21516 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
21517 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
21518 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
21519 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
21520 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
21522 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
21523 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
21524 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
21525 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
21527 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21528 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
21529 @cindex score cache
21530 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
21531 score files. However, this might make your Emacs grow big and
21532 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
21533 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
21534 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
21535 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
21536 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
21539 @item gnus-save-score
21540 @vindex gnus-save-score
21541 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
21542 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
21543 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
21545 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
21546 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
21547 across group visits.
21549 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21550 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
21551 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
21552 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
21553 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
21554 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
21555 manually entered data.
21557 @item gnus-summary-default-score
21558 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
21559 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
21561 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
21562 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
21563 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
21564 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
21565 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
21566 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
21568 @item gnus-score-over-mark
21569 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
21570 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
21571 default. Default is @samp{+}.
21573 @item gnus-score-below-mark
21574 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
21575 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
21576 default. Default is @samp{-}.
21578 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21579 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
21580 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
21581 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
21583 Predefined functions available are:
21586 @item gnus-score-find-single
21587 @findex gnus-score-find-single
21588 Only apply the group's own score file.
21590 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
21591 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
21592 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
21593 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
21594 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
21595 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
21596 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
21597 then a regexp match is done.
21599 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
21600 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
21602 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
21603 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
21604 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
21605 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
21607 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21608 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
21609 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
21610 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
21611 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
21615 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
21616 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
21617 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
21618 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
21619 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
21620 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
21621 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
21624 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
21625 overall score file, you could use the value
21627 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
21628 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
21631 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
21632 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
21633 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
21634 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
21635 are expired. It's 7 by default.
21637 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21638 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
21639 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
21640 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
21641 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
21642 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
21643 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
21644 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
21646 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21647 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
21648 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
21650 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
21651 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
21652 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
21653 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
21654 threading---according to the current value of
21655 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
21656 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
21657 simplified in this manner.
21662 @node Score File Format
21663 @section Score File Format
21664 @cindex score file format
21666 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
21667 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
21668 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
21670 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
21674 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
21676 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
21678 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
21680 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
21685 (mark-and-expunge -10)
21689 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
21690 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
21691 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
21692 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
21696 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
21697 Scoring}, for a different approach.
21699 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
21700 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
21701 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
21703 Six keys are supported by this alist:
21708 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
21709 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
21710 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
21711 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
21712 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
21713 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
21714 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
21715 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
21716 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
21717 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
21718 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
21719 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
21720 to articles that matches these score entries.
21722 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
21723 score entry has one to four elements.
21727 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
21728 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
21732 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
21733 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
21734 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
21735 is successful. If this element is not present, the
21736 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
21737 instead. This is 1000 by default.
21740 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
21741 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
21742 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
21743 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
21744 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
21747 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
21748 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
21749 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
21750 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
21753 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
21754 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
21755 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
21756 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
21757 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
21758 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
21759 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
21760 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
21761 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
21762 instead, if you feel like.
21765 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
21766 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
21767 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
21768 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
21769 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
21770 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
21774 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
21775 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
21779 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
21780 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
21782 These predicates are true if
21785 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
21788 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
21789 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
21796 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
21797 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
21798 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
21799 it's not. I think.)
21801 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
21802 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
21803 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
21804 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
21807 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
21808 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
21809 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
21810 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
21811 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
21812 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
21813 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
21817 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
21818 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
21819 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
21820 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
21821 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
21822 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
21823 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
21824 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
21827 @item Head, Body, All
21828 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
21832 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
21833 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
21834 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
21835 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
21836 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
21837 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
21838 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
21842 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
21843 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
21844 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
21845 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
21846 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
21847 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
21848 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
21849 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
21850 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
21851 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
21852 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
21856 @cindex score file atoms
21858 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21859 lower than this number will be marked as read.
21862 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21863 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
21865 @item mark-and-expunge
21866 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
21867 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
21870 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
21871 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
21872 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
21873 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
21874 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
21877 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
21878 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
21881 @item exclude-files
21882 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
21883 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
21887 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}ed. This element will be
21888 ignored when handling global score files.
21891 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
21892 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
21893 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
21894 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
21897 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
21898 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
21899 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
21900 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
21902 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
21906 (mark-and-expunge -100)
21909 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
21910 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
21911 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{c y}) the
21912 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
21913 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
21915 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
21916 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
21917 scoring rules exist.
21920 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
21921 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
21922 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
21923 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
21924 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
21925 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
21926 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21927 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
21928 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
21929 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
21930 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
21934 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
21935 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
21936 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
21937 file for a number of groups.
21940 @cindex local variables
21941 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
21942 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
21943 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
21944 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
21945 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
21950 @node Score File Editing
21951 @section Score File Editing
21953 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
21954 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
21955 with a mode for that.
21957 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
21958 additional commands:
21963 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
21964 @findex gnus-score-edit-exit
21965 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
21966 (@code{gnus-score-edit-exit}).
21969 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
21970 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
21971 Insert the current date in numerical format
21972 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
21973 you were wondering.
21976 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
21977 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
21978 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
21979 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
21980 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
21985 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
21987 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
21988 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
21990 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
21991 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
21994 @node Adaptive Scoring
21995 @section Adaptive Scoring
21996 @cindex adaptive scoring
21998 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
21999 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
22000 stupidity, to be precise.
22002 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
22003 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
22004 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
22005 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
22006 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
22007 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
22008 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
22009 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
22010 variable to @code{(word line)}.
22012 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
22013 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
22014 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
22015 might look something like this:
22018 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
22019 '((gnus-unread-mark)
22020 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
22021 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
22022 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
22023 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
22024 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
22025 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
22026 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
22027 (gnus-ancient-mark)
22028 (gnus-low-score-mark)
22029 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
22032 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
22033 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
22034 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
22035 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
22036 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
22037 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
22040 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
22041 will be applied to each article.
22043 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
22044 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
22045 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
22046 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
22048 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
22049 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
22050 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
22051 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
22053 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
22054 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
22055 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
22056 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
22058 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
22059 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
22060 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
22061 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
22062 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
22063 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
22065 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
22066 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
22067 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
22069 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
22070 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
22071 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
22073 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
22074 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
22075 let you use different rules in different groups.
22077 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
22078 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
22079 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
22082 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
22083 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
22084 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
22085 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
22087 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
22088 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
22089 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
22090 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
22091 the length of the match is less than
22092 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
22093 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
22096 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
22097 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
22098 headers. If you adapt on words, the
22099 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
22100 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
22103 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
22104 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
22105 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
22106 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
22107 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
22110 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
22111 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
22112 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
22113 score with 30 points.
22115 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
22116 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
22117 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
22118 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
22119 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
22121 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
22122 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
22123 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
22124 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
22125 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
22127 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
22128 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
22129 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
22130 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
22132 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
22133 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
22134 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
22135 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
22137 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
22138 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
22139 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
22140 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
22141 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
22143 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
22144 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
22145 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
22147 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
22148 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
22149 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
22150 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
22153 @node Home Score File
22154 @section Home Score File
22156 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
22157 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
22158 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
22159 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
22161 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
22162 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
22163 could perhaps use the same home score file.
22165 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
22166 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
22171 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
22175 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
22176 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
22180 A list. The elements in this list can be:
22184 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
22185 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
22188 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
22189 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
22190 name of the group as the parameter.
22193 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
22196 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
22201 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
22204 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22205 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
22208 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
22209 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
22211 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
22213 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22214 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
22217 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
22218 Other functions include
22221 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
22222 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
22223 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
22224 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
22228 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
22229 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
22230 their own home score files:
22233 (setq gnus-home-score-file
22234 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
22235 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
22236 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
22237 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
22240 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
22241 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
22242 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
22243 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
22244 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
22246 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
22247 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
22248 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
22249 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
22250 precedence over this variable.
22253 @node Followups To Yourself
22254 @section Followups To Yourself
22256 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
22257 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
22258 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
22259 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
22260 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
22261 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
22265 @item gnus-score-followup-article
22266 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
22267 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
22270 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
22271 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
22272 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
22276 @vindex message-sent-hook
22277 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
22278 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
22280 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
22284 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
22285 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
22289 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22290 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
22293 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
22294 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
22299 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
22303 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
22304 is system-dependent.
22307 @node Scoring On Other Headers
22308 @section Scoring On Other Headers
22309 @cindex scoring on other headers
22311 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
22312 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
22313 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
22314 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
22315 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
22317 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
22318 You can inhibit this slow scoring on headers or body by setting the
22319 variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
22320 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
22321 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
22322 inhibited for all groups.
22324 Now, there's not much you can do about the slowness for news groups, but for
22325 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
22326 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
22327 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
22328 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
22330 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
22333 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
22334 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
22337 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
22338 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
22339 time if you have much mail.
22341 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
22342 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
22348 @section Scoring Tips
22349 @cindex scoring tips
22355 @cindex scoring crossposts
22356 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
22357 the @code{Xref} header.
22359 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
22362 @item Multiple crossposts
22363 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
22364 more than, say, 3 groups:
22367 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
22371 @item Matching on the body
22372 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
22373 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
22374 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
22375 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
22376 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
22377 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
22378 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
22381 @item Marking as read
22382 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
22383 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
22384 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
22388 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
22390 @item Negated character classes
22391 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
22392 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
22393 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
22397 @node Reverse Scoring
22398 @section Reverse Scoring
22399 @cindex reverse scoring
22401 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
22402 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
22403 like this in your score file:
22407 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
22412 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
22413 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
22416 @node Global Score Files
22417 @section Global Score Files
22418 @cindex global score files
22420 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
22421 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
22422 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
22424 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
22425 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
22426 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
22428 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
22429 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
22430 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
22431 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
22432 files are applicable to which group.
22434 To use the score file
22435 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
22436 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
22440 (setq gnus-global-score-files
22441 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
22442 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
22445 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
22447 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
22448 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
22449 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
22450 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
22452 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
22453 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
22455 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
22456 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
22457 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
22458 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
22459 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
22460 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
22462 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
22468 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
22470 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
22472 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
22474 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
22475 lowered out of existence.
22477 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
22478 articles completely.
22481 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
22482 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
22483 old articles for a long time.
22486 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
22487 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
22488 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
22489 holding our breath yet?
22493 @section Kill Files
22496 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
22497 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
22498 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
22500 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
22501 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
22502 files into score files.
22504 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
22505 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
22506 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
22507 that isn't a very good idea.
22509 Normal kill files look like this:
22512 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22513 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
22517 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
22518 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
22520 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
22521 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
22524 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
22529 @kindex M-k (Summary)
22530 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
22531 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
22534 @kindex M-K (Summary)
22535 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
22536 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
22539 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
22544 @kindex M-k (Group)
22545 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
22546 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
22549 @kindex M-K (Group)
22550 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
22551 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
22554 Kill file variables:
22557 @item gnus-kill-file-name
22558 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
22559 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
22560 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
22561 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
22562 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
22563 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
22565 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22566 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
22567 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
22568 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
22571 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
22572 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
22573 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
22574 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
22575 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
22576 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
22577 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
22578 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
22579 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
22581 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22582 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
22583 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
22588 @node Converting Kill Files
22589 @section Converting Kill Files
22591 @cindex converting kill files
22593 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
22594 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
22595 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
22598 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Emacs by default.
22599 You can fetch it from the contrib directory of the Gnus distribution or
22601 @uref{http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
22603 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
22604 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
22605 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
22609 @node Advanced Scoring
22610 @section Advanced Scoring
22612 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
22613 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
22614 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
22615 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
22616 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
22618 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
22622 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
22623 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
22624 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
22628 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
22629 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
22631 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
22632 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
22633 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
22634 non-@code{nil} value.
22636 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
22637 operator, and various match operators.
22644 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22645 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
22646 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
22651 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
22652 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
22653 then this operator will return @code{false}.
22658 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
22659 logical negation of the value of its argument.
22663 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
22664 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
22665 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
22666 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
22667 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
22668 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
22669 the ancestry you want to go.
22671 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
22672 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
22673 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
22674 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
22675 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
22678 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
22679 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
22681 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
22682 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
22685 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
22686 when he's talking about Gnus:
22691 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22692 ("subject" "Gnus"))
22699 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
22703 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22710 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
22711 really don't want to read what he's written:
22715 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
22716 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
22720 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
22721 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
22722 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
22729 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
22730 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
22731 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
22732 ("body" "white.*socks"))
22736 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
22737 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
22738 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
22739 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
22742 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22744 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
22748 The possibilities are endless.
22750 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
22751 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
22753 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
22754 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
22755 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
22756 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
22757 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
22758 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
22759 @samp{subject}) first.
22761 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
22762 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
22773 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
22774 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
22780 ("subject" "Gnus")))
22787 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
22788 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
22793 @section Score Decays
22794 @cindex score decays
22797 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
22798 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
22799 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
22800 use them in any sensible way.
22802 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
22803 @findex gnus-decay-score
22804 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
22805 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
22806 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
22807 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
22808 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
22809 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
22810 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
22811 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
22812 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
22813 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
22817 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
22818 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
22819 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
22821 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
22823 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
22825 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
22826 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
22827 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
22828 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
22829 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
22831 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
22835 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
22836 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
22837 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
22838 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
22842 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
22845 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
22848 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
22852 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
22853 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
22854 the new score, which should be an integer.
22856 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
22857 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
22862 @include message.texi
22863 @chapter Emacs MIME
22864 @include emacs-mime.texi
22866 @include sieve.texi
22878 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
22879 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
22880 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
22881 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
22882 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
22883 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
22884 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
22885 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
22886 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
22887 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
22888 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
22889 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
22890 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
22891 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
22892 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
22893 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
22894 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
22895 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
22896 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
22897 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
22898 * The Gnus Registry:: A package for tracking messages by Message-ID.
22899 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
22900 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
22904 @node Process/Prefix
22905 @section Process/Prefix
22906 @cindex process/prefix convention
22908 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
22909 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
22911 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
22912 command to be performed on.
22916 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
22917 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
22918 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
22919 with the current one.
22921 @vindex transient-mark-mode
22922 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
22923 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
22925 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
22926 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
22929 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
22930 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
22932 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
22935 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
22936 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
22937 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
22938 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22940 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
22941 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
22942 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
22943 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
22944 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
22945 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
22946 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
22947 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
22949 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
22950 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
22951 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
22952 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
22953 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
22957 @section Interactive
22958 @cindex interaction
22962 @item gnus-novice-user
22963 @vindex gnus-novice-user
22964 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
22965 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
22966 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
22967 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
22970 @item gnus-expert-user
22971 @vindex gnus-expert-user
22972 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
22973 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing,
22974 no matter how strange. For example, quitting Gnus, exiting a group
22975 without an update, catching up with a group, deleting expired
22976 articles, and replying by mail to a news message will not require
22979 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
22980 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
22981 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
22982 is @code{t} by default.
22984 @item gnus-interactive-exit
22985 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
22986 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
22991 @node Symbolic Prefixes
22992 @section Symbolic Prefixes
22993 @cindex symbolic prefixes
22995 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
22996 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
22997 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
22998 rule of 900 to the current article.
23000 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
23001 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
23002 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
23003 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
23004 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
23005 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
23006 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
23008 @kindex M-i (Summary)
23009 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
23010 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
23011 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
23012 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
23013 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
23014 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
23015 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
23016 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
23018 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
23019 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
23020 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
23022 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
23026 @node Formatting Variables
23027 @section Formatting Variables
23028 @cindex formatting variables
23030 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
23031 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
23032 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
23033 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
23034 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
23037 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
23038 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
23039 lots of percentages everywhere.
23042 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
23043 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
23044 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
23045 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
23046 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
23047 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
23048 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
23049 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
23052 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
23053 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
23054 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
23055 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
23056 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
23057 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
23058 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
23059 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
23061 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
23062 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
23064 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
23065 @findex gnus-update-format
23066 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
23067 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
23068 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
23069 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
23073 @node Formatting Basics
23074 @subsection Formatting Basics
23076 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
23077 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
23078 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
23080 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
23081 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
23082 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
23083 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
23084 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
23087 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
23088 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
23089 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
23090 less than 4 characters wide.
23092 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
23093 @samp{%&user-date;}.
23096 @node Mode Line Formatting
23097 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
23099 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
23100 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
23101 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
23102 with the following two differences:
23107 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
23110 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
23111 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
23112 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
23113 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
23114 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
23115 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
23116 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
23121 @node Advanced Formatting
23122 @subsection Advanced Formatting
23124 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
23125 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
23126 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
23127 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
23129 These are the valid modifiers:
23134 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
23138 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
23143 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
23146 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
23151 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
23154 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
23157 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
23160 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
23166 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
23171 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
23172 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
23173 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
23174 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
23175 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
23176 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
23177 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
23179 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
23180 last operation, padding.
23182 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
23183 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
23184 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
23185 @xref{Compilation}.
23188 @node User-Defined Specs
23189 @subsection User-Defined Specs
23191 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
23192 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
23193 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
23194 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
23195 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
23196 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
23197 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
23198 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
23199 should protect against that.
23201 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
23202 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
23204 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
23205 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
23206 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
23207 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
23211 @node Formatting Fonts
23212 @subsection Formatting Fonts
23215 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23216 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
23217 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
23218 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
23219 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
23223 @vindex gnus-face-0
23224 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
23225 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
23226 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
23227 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
23228 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
23229 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
23231 @cindex %<<, %>>, guillemets
23232 @c @cindex %<<, %>>, %«, %», guillemets
23233 @vindex gnus-balloon-face-0
23234 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
23235 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
23236 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
23237 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
23238 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
23239 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
23240 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
23241 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
23242 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
23243 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
23244 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
23247 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
23250 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
23251 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
23252 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
23254 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
23255 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
23256 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
23257 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
23258 ;; @r{Set the color.}
23259 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
23260 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
23262 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
23263 (setq gnus-group-line-format
23264 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
23267 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
23268 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
23270 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
23271 mode-line variables.
23273 @node Positioning Point
23274 @subsection Positioning Point
23276 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
23277 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
23278 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
23280 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
23282 @findex gnus-goto-colon
23283 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
23284 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
23286 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
23287 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
23288 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
23293 @subsection Tabulation
23295 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
23296 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
23297 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
23298 about lining up the following text afterwards.
23300 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
23301 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
23303 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23304 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
23305 This is the soft tabulator.
23307 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
23308 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
23309 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
23312 @node Wide Characters
23313 @subsection Wide Characters
23315 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
23316 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
23317 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
23319 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
23320 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
23321 these countries, that's not true.
23323 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
23324 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
23325 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
23326 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
23330 @node Window Layout
23331 @section Window Layout
23332 @cindex window layout
23334 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
23336 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
23337 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
23338 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
23339 @code{t} by default.
23341 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
23342 glitches. Use at your own peril.
23344 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
23345 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
23346 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
23349 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
23350 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
23351 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23355 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
23356 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
23357 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
23358 possible names is listed below.
23360 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
23361 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
23364 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
23368 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
23369 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
23370 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
23371 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
23372 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
23373 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
23374 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
23375 size spec per split.
23377 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
23378 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
23379 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
23380 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
23381 present) gets focus.
23383 Here's a more complicated example:
23386 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
23387 (summary 0.25 point)
23388 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
23392 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
23393 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
23394 occupy, not a percentage.
23396 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
23397 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
23398 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
23399 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
23400 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
23403 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
23406 (article (horizontal 1.0
23411 (summary 0.25 point)
23416 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
23417 @code{horizontal} thingie?
23419 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
23420 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
23421 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
23422 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
23423 the screen is to be given to this strip.
23425 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
23426 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
23427 lines from the splits.
23429 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
23434 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
23435 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
23436 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
23437 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
23438 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
23439 size = number | frame-params
23440 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
23444 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
23445 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
23446 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
23447 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
23449 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
23450 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
23451 @cindex window height
23452 @cindex window width
23453 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
23454 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
23455 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
23456 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
23457 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
23458 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
23460 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
23461 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
23462 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
23463 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
23465 @findex gnus-configure-frame
23466 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
23467 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
23468 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
23469 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
23470 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
23471 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
23472 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
23473 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
23474 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
23475 configuration list.
23478 (gnus-configure-frame
23482 (article 0.3 point))
23490 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
23491 @code{frame} split:
23494 (gnus-configure-frame
23497 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
23499 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
23500 (user-position . t)
23501 (left . -1) (top . 1))
23506 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
23507 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
23508 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
23509 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
23510 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
23511 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
23512 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
23513 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
23515 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
23516 be found in its default value.
23518 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
23519 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
23520 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
23524 (message (horizontal 1.0
23525 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
23527 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
23532 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
23533 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
23534 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
23539 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
23540 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
23541 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
23542 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
23543 (name . "Message"))
23544 (message 1.0 point))))
23547 @findex gnus-add-configuration
23548 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
23549 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
23550 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
23551 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
23554 (gnus-add-configuration
23555 '(article (vertical 1.0
23557 (summary .25 point)
23561 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
23562 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
23563 Gnus has been loaded.
23565 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
23566 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
23567 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
23568 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
23569 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
23571 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
23572 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
23573 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
23576 @subsection Example Window Configurations
23580 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
23581 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
23596 (gnus-add-configuration
23599 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23601 (summary 0.16 point)
23604 (gnus-add-configuration
23607 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
23608 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
23614 @node Faces and Fonts
23615 @section Faces and Fonts
23620 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
23621 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
23622 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
23627 @section Compilation
23628 @cindex compilation
23629 @cindex byte-compilation
23631 @findex gnus-compile
23633 Remember all those line format specification variables?
23634 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
23635 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
23636 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
23637 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
23638 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
23641 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
23642 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
23643 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
23644 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
23645 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
23646 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
23647 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
23651 @section Mode Lines
23654 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
23655 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
23656 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
23657 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
23658 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
23659 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
23660 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
23663 @cindex display-time
23665 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
23666 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
23667 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
23668 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
23669 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
23670 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
23671 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
23672 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
23675 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
23677 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
23678 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
23680 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
23681 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
23682 (length display-time-string)))))
23685 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
23686 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
23687 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
23688 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
23689 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
23692 @node Highlighting and Menus
23693 @section Highlighting and Menus
23695 @cindex highlighting
23698 @vindex gnus-visual
23699 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
23700 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
23701 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
23704 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
23705 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
23708 @item group-highlight
23709 Do highlights in the group buffer.
23710 @item summary-highlight
23711 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
23712 @item article-highlight
23713 Do highlights in the article buffer.
23715 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
23717 Create menus in the group buffer.
23719 Create menus in the summary buffers.
23721 Create menus in the article buffer.
23723 Create menus in the browse buffer.
23725 Create menus in the server buffer.
23727 Create menus in the score buffers.
23729 Create menus in all buffers.
23732 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
23733 buffers, you could say something like:
23736 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
23739 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
23742 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
23745 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
23746 in all Gnus buffers.
23748 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
23751 @item gnus-mouse-face
23752 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
23753 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
23754 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
23758 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
23762 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
23763 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
23764 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
23766 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
23767 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
23768 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
23770 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
23771 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
23772 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
23774 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
23775 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
23776 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
23778 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
23779 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
23780 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
23782 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
23783 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
23784 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
23795 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
23796 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
23797 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
23798 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
23799 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
23803 @vindex gnus-carpal
23804 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
23805 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
23806 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
23811 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23812 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
23813 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
23815 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
23816 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
23817 Face used on buttons.
23819 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
23820 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
23821 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
23823 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23824 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
23825 Buttons in the group buffer.
23827 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23828 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
23829 Buttons in the summary buffer.
23831 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23832 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
23833 Buttons in the server buffer.
23835 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23836 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
23837 Buttons in the browse buffer.
23840 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
23841 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
23842 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
23850 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
23851 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
23852 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
23853 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
23854 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
23856 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
23857 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
23858 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
23860 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
23861 been idle for thirty minutes:
23864 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
23867 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
23871 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
23874 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
23875 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
23876 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23878 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
23879 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
23880 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
23881 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
23883 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
23884 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
23885 @var{idle} minutes.
23887 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
23888 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
23891 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
23892 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
23893 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
23895 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
23896 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
23897 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
23898 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
23900 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
23901 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23903 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
23905 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
23908 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
23909 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
23910 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
23911 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
23912 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
23913 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
23914 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
23915 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
23916 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
23917 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
23918 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
23920 @findex gnus-demon-init
23921 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
23922 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
23923 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
23924 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
23925 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
23927 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
23928 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
23929 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
23938 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
23939 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
23941 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
23942 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
23943 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
23944 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
23947 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
23948 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
23949 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
23950 messages, which are distributed in the newsgroups
23951 @samp{news.lists.filters}, @samp{alt.nocem.misc}, etc.
23953 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
23954 this will make spam disappear.
23956 There are some variables to customize, of course:
23959 @item gnus-use-nocem
23960 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
23961 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
23964 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
23965 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
23966 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
23967 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
23968 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
23969 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level that is smaller than this
23970 value to those commands. For example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail
23971 groups and the levels on the news groups remain the default, 3 is the
23974 @item gnus-nocem-groups
23975 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
23976 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
23979 ("news.lists.filters" "alt.nocem.misc")
23982 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
23983 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
23984 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
23985 people you want to listen to. The default is:
23989 "alba-nocem@@albasani.net"
23990 "bleachbot@@httrack.com"
23991 "news@@arcor-online.net"
23992 "news@@uni-berlin.de"
23994 "pgpmoose@@killfile.org"
23998 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
23999 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
24001 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
24002 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
24003 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
24004 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
24005 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
24006 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
24007 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
24008 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
24009 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
24010 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
24012 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
24013 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
24016 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
24019 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
24020 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
24023 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
24026 The specs are applied left-to-right.
24029 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
24030 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
24031 @findex gnus-nocem-epg-verify
24033 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
24034 says she is. This variable defaults to @code{gnus-nocem-epg-verify} if
24035 EasyPG is available, otherwise defaults to @code{pgg-verify}. The
24036 function should return non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful,
24037 otherwise (including the case the NoCeM message was not signed) should
24038 return @code{nil}. If this is too slow and you don't care for
24039 verification (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to
24042 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
24043 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
24044 @code{gnus-nocem-epg-verify} or @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if
24045 you are willing to add the @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
24047 @item gnus-nocem-directory
24048 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
24049 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
24050 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
24052 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
24053 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
24054 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
24055 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
24056 might then see old spam.
24058 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
24059 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
24060 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
24061 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
24062 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
24065 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
24066 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
24067 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
24068 group. @code{nil} means no restriction. NoCeM groups can be huge and
24069 very slow to process.
24073 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
24074 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
24075 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
24076 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
24083 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
24084 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
24085 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
24087 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
24088 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
24089 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
24090 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
24091 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
24092 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
24093 @code{undo} function.
24095 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
24096 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
24097 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
24098 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
24099 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
24100 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
24101 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
24102 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
24103 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
24104 never be totally undoable.
24106 @findex gnus-undo-mode
24107 @vindex gnus-use-undo
24109 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
24110 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
24111 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
24112 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
24116 @node Predicate Specifiers
24117 @section Predicate Specifiers
24118 @cindex predicate specifiers
24120 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
24121 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
24122 to type all that much.
24124 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
24129 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
24130 gnus-article-unread-p)
24133 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
24134 functions all take one parameter.
24136 @findex gnus-make-predicate
24137 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
24138 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
24139 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
24144 @section Moderation
24147 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
24148 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
24149 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
24152 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
24156 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
24159 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
24161 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
24166 You split your incoming mail by matching on
24167 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
24168 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
24171 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
24172 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
24175 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
24176 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
24180 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
24183 (setq gnus-moderated-list
24184 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
24188 @node Fetching a Group
24189 @section Fetching a Group
24190 @cindex fetching a group
24192 @findex gnus-fetch-group
24193 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
24194 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
24195 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
24196 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
24197 It takes the group name as a parameter.
24200 @node Image Enhancements
24201 @section Image Enhancements
24203 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
24204 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
24205 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
24208 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
24209 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
24210 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
24211 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
24212 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
24220 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
24221 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
24222 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
24226 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
24227 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
24228 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
24236 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
24237 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
24238 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
24239 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
24240 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
24241 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
24242 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
24243 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
24244 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
24245 @code{display} program.
24247 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
24248 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
24249 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
24250 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
24251 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
24252 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
24253 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
24254 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
24256 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
24257 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
24258 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
24259 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
24260 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
24261 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
24263 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
24271 @vindex gnus-x-face
24272 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
24273 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
24274 default colors are black and white.
24276 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
24277 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
24278 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
24279 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
24280 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
24281 XEmacs. Here are examples:
24284 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
24285 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24286 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
24287 (png . (:ascent 80))))
24289 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
24290 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
24291 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
24292 (png . (:relief -2))))
24295 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
24296 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
24297 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
24298 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
24299 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
24300 @samp{libcompface} library.
24303 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
24304 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
24305 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
24306 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
24307 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
24308 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
24310 @findex gnus-random-x-face
24311 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
24312 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
24313 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
24314 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
24315 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
24316 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
24317 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
24318 header data as a string.
24320 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
24321 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
24322 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
24323 randomly generated data.
24325 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
24326 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
24327 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
24328 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
24329 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
24331 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
24332 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24335 (setq message-required-news-headers
24336 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24337 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
24340 Using the last function would be something like this:
24343 (setq message-required-news-headers
24344 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24345 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
24346 (gnus-x-face-from-file
24347 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
24355 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
24357 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
24358 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
24359 represent the author of the message.
24362 @findex gnus-article-display-face
24363 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
24364 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
24367 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
24368 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
24370 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
24373 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
24375 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
24377 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
24378 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
24380 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
24381 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
24382 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
24384 @findex gnus-face-from-file
24385 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
24386 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
24387 converts the file to Face format by using the
24388 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
24390 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
24391 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24394 (setq message-required-news-headers
24395 (nconc message-required-news-headers
24396 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
24397 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
24402 @subsection Smileys
24407 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
24412 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
24413 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
24415 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
24416 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
24419 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
24422 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
24423 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
24424 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
24425 text and maps that to file names.
24427 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
24428 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
24429 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
24430 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
24431 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
24434 The following variables customize the appearance of the smileys:
24439 @vindex smiley-style
24440 Specifies the smiley style. Predefined smiley styles include
24441 @code{low-color} (small 13x14 pixel, three-color images), @code{medium}
24442 (more colorful images, 16x16 pixel), and @code{grayscale} (grayscale
24443 images, 14x14 pixel). The default depends on the height of the default
24446 @item smiley-data-directory
24447 @vindex smiley-data-directory
24448 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files. You shouldn't set this
24449 variable anymore. Customize @code{smiley-style} instead.
24451 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
24452 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
24453 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
24467 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
24468 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
24469 over your shoulder as you read news.
24471 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
24480 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
24481 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
24482 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
24483 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
24484 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
24485 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
24486 @code{GIF} formats.
24489 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24490 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
24491 point your Web browser at
24492 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
24494 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
24495 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
24497 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
24498 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
24501 @vindex gnus-picon-style
24502 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
24503 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
24504 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
24506 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
24510 @item gnus-picon-databases
24511 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
24512 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
24513 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
24514 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
24515 "/usr/local/faces")}.
24517 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
24518 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
24519 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24520 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
24522 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
24523 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
24524 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
24525 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
24527 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
24528 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
24529 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
24530 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
24531 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
24533 @item gnus-picon-file-types
24534 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
24535 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
24536 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
24542 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
24545 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24546 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
24547 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
24548 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
24549 unusual directory structure.
24551 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24552 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
24553 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
24558 @subsubsection Toolbar
24562 @item gnus-use-toolbar
24563 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
24564 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
24565 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
24566 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
24567 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
24568 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
24569 names show. The default is @code{default}.
24571 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
24572 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
24573 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
24574 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
24575 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
24576 The default is that of the default toolbar.
24578 @item gnus-group-toolbar
24579 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
24580 The toolbar in the group buffer.
24582 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
24583 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
24584 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
24586 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24587 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
24588 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
24599 @node Fuzzy Matching
24600 @section Fuzzy Matching
24601 @cindex fuzzy matching
24603 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
24604 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
24606 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
24607 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
24608 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
24610 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
24611 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
24612 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
24613 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
24614 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
24617 @node Thwarting Email Spam
24618 @section Thwarting Email Spam
24622 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24624 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
24625 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
24626 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
24627 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
24628 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
24629 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
24630 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
24631 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
24634 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
24635 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
24636 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
24637 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
24638 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
24639 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
24641 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
24644 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
24645 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
24646 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
24647 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
24650 @node The problem of spam
24651 @subsection The problem of spam
24653 @cindex spam filtering approaches
24654 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
24656 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24658 First, some background on spam.
24660 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
24661 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
24662 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
24663 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
24664 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
24665 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
24666 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
24667 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
24668 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
24670 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
24671 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
24672 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
24673 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
24674 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
24675 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
24676 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
24677 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
24678 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
24681 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
24682 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
24683 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
24684 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
24685 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
24686 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
24687 from Bulgarian IPs.
24689 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
24690 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
24691 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
24692 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
24694 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
24695 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
24696 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
24697 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
24699 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
24700 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
24701 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
24702 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
24703 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
24704 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
24705 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
24706 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
24707 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
24709 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
24710 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
24711 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
24712 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
24713 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
24714 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
24715 down for some time because of the incident.
24717 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
24718 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
24719 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
24720 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
24721 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
24722 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
24723 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
24724 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
24725 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
24726 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
24727 the server that it has misclassified mail.
24729 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
24730 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
24731 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
24732 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
24733 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
24734 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
24735 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
24738 @node Anti-Spam Basics
24739 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
24743 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
24745 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
24746 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
24748 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
24749 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
24750 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
24751 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
24752 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
24753 part of the mail address.)
24756 (setq message-default-news-headers
24757 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
24760 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
24761 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24765 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
24766 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
24767 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
24772 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
24773 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
24774 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
24775 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
24777 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
24778 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
24779 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
24780 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
24781 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
24782 your fancy split rule in this way:
24787 (to "larsi" "misc")
24791 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
24792 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
24793 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
24794 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
24795 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
24797 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
24798 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
24799 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
24800 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
24802 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
24806 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
24807 @cindex SpamAssassin
24808 @cindex Vipul's Razor
24811 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
24812 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
24813 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
24814 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
24815 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
24816 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
24817 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
24819 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
24820 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
24821 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
24824 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
24825 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
24826 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
24827 Specifiers}) follow.
24831 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
24835 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
24838 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
24839 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
24840 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
24843 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
24847 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
24850 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
24851 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
24855 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
24856 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
24857 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
24858 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
24861 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
24863 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
24867 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
24868 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
24872 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
24873 downloaded by default. You need to set
24874 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
24875 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
24877 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
24878 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
24879 spam. And here is the nifty function:
24882 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
24883 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
24885 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d" t)
24886 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
24890 @subsection Hashcash
24893 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
24894 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
24895 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
24896 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
24897 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
24899 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
24900 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
24901 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
24902 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
24903 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
24904 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
24905 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
24906 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
24907 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
24908 one of them separately.
24911 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
24912 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
24913 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
24914 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
24915 need to install to use this feature, see
24916 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
24917 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
24919 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
24920 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
24921 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
24924 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
24927 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
24931 @item hashcash-default-payment
24932 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
24933 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
24934 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
24937 @item hashcash-payment-alist
24938 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
24939 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
24940 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
24941 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
24942 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
24943 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
24944 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
24945 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
24947 @item hashcash-path
24948 @vindex hashcash-path
24949 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
24950 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
24951 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
24952 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
24953 when you generate hashcash payments.
24957 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
24958 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
24959 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
24960 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
24961 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
24962 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
24963 Hashcash Payments}).
24966 @section Spam Package
24967 @cindex spam filtering
24970 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
24971 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
24972 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
24973 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
24976 * Spam Package Introduction::
24977 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
24978 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
24979 * Spam and Ham Processors::
24980 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
24982 * Extending the Spam package::
24983 * Spam Statistics Package::
24986 @node Spam Package Introduction
24987 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
24988 @cindex spam filtering
24989 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
24992 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
24993 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
24995 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
24996 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
24998 @cindex spam-initialize
24999 @vindex spam-use-stat
25000 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
25001 @code{spam-initialize}:
25007 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
25008 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
25009 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
25010 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
25011 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
25013 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
25014 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
25016 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
25017 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
25019 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
25020 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
25021 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
25022 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
25023 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
25025 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
25026 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
25027 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
25028 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
25029 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
25032 @cindex spam back ends
25033 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
25034 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
25035 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
25036 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
25037 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
25039 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
25040 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
25042 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
25043 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
25044 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
25045 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
25046 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
25047 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
25048 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
25050 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
25051 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
25052 point, the Spam package does several things:
25054 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
25055 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
25056 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
25057 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
25058 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
25059 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
25060 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
25061 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
25064 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
25065 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
25075 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
25076 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
25077 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
25078 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
25082 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
25083 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
25085 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
25086 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
25087 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
25088 to be processed as ham by setting
25089 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
25090 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
25092 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
25093 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
25094 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
25095 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
25096 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
25097 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
25098 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
25099 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
25100 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
25101 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
25102 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
25103 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
25105 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
25106 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
25107 want each article to be processed only once, load the
25108 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
25109 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
25110 Configuration Examples}.
25112 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
25113 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
25114 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
25115 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
25117 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
25118 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
25120 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
25121 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
25122 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
25124 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
25125 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
25126 @cindex spam filtering
25127 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
25130 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
25131 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
25132 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
25133 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
25134 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
25140 @vindex spam-split-group
25142 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
25143 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
25144 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
25145 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
25146 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
25147 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
25148 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
25149 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
25150 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
25152 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
25154 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
25155 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
25156 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
25157 you should also set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
25158 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
25159 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
25160 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
25161 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
25162 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
25163 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
25166 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
25167 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
25168 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
25169 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
25170 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
25171 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
25172 ends, and the following split rule:
25175 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25176 (any "ding" "ding")
25178 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25183 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
25184 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
25185 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
25186 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
25187 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
25188 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
25190 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
25191 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
25192 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
25193 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
25198 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
25199 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25200 (any "ding" "ding")
25201 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
25203 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25208 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
25209 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
25210 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
25211 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
25212 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
25213 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
25214 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
25216 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25217 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25218 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25219 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
25221 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
25222 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
25225 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
25226 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
25228 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
25229 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
25230 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
25231 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
25233 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
25234 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
25235 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
25236 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
25238 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
25239 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
25240 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
25242 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
25243 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
25244 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
25245 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
25246 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
25247 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
25248 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
25250 @node Spam and Ham Processors
25251 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
25252 @cindex spam filtering
25253 @cindex spam filtering variables
25254 @cindex spam variables
25257 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
25258 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
25259 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
25260 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
25261 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
25262 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
25263 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
25265 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
25266 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
25267 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
25268 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
25270 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25271 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
25272 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
25273 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
25274 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
25275 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
25276 by customizing the corresponding variable
25277 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
25278 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
25279 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
25280 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
25281 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
25282 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
25283 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
25286 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
25288 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
25289 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
25290 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
25291 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
25292 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
25293 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
25294 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
25295 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
25296 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
25297 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
25298 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
25299 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
25300 processor which will study them as spam samples.
25302 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
25303 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
25304 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
25305 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
25306 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
25307 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
25308 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
25309 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
25312 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25313 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
25314 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
25315 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
25316 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
25317 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
25318 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
25323 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
25324 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
25325 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
25326 you really want to.
25329 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
25330 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
25331 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
25332 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
25333 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
25334 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
25337 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
25338 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
25339 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
25340 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
25341 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
25342 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
25343 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
25344 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
25345 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
25346 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
25347 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
25348 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
25349 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
25350 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
25351 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
25353 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25354 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25356 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25357 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
25358 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
25360 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
25361 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
25363 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
25364 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
25365 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
25366 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
25367 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
25369 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
25370 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
25371 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
25372 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
25373 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
25376 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
25377 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
25378 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
25379 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
25380 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
25381 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
25382 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
25383 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
25384 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
25385 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
25386 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
25387 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
25388 group buffer then you need it here as well.
25390 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
25391 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
25393 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
25394 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
25397 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
25398 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
25399 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
25400 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
25401 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
25402 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
25403 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
25405 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
25406 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
25407 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
25408 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
25410 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
25411 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
25412 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
25413 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
25414 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
25415 from the mail server.
25417 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
25418 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
25419 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
25420 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
25422 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
25423 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
25424 @cindex spam filtering
25425 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
25426 @cindex spam configuration examples
25429 @subsubheading Ted's setup
25431 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
25433 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
25434 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
25435 (gnus-registry-initialize)
25439 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
25441 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
25442 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
25443 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
25444 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25445 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
25446 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
25447 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
25448 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
25449 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25450 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
25451 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
25452 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
25453 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
25454 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
25455 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
25456 (any "ding" "ding")
25457 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
25459 ;; @r{default mailbox}
25462 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
25464 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
25465 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
25466 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
25467 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
25469 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25471 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
25472 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
25473 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
25474 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
25475 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
25477 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
25478 ((spam-autodetect . t))
25480 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
25482 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
25483 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
25485 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
25486 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
25487 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
25489 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
25491 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
25492 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
25494 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
25495 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
25496 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
25498 (gnus-ticked-mark))
25499 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
25500 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
25501 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
25503 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
25504 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
25505 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
25509 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
25510 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25512 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
25513 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
25514 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
25515 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
25516 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
25517 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
25518 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
25519 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
25520 @samp{training.spam} folders.
25522 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
25523 does most of the job for me:
25526 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
25527 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
25528 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
25529 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
25530 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
25531 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
25532 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
25537 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
25539 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
25540 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
25541 bogofilter or DCC).
25543 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
25544 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
25545 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
25546 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
25547 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
25548 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
25549 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
25551 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
25552 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
25553 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
25554 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
25555 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
25556 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
25558 @item @b{Ham folders:}
25560 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
25561 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
25562 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
25563 @samp{training.spam}.
25566 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
25568 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
25570 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
25571 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
25572 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
25576 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
25579 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
25580 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
25581 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
25582 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
25583 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
25585 @node Spam Back Ends
25586 @subsection Spam Back Ends
25587 @cindex spam back ends
25589 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
25590 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
25591 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
25592 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
25596 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
25597 * BBDB Whitelists::
25598 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
25599 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
25601 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
25603 * SpamAssassin back end::
25604 * ifile spam filtering::
25605 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
25609 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
25610 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
25611 @cindex spam filtering
25612 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
25613 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
25616 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
25618 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
25619 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
25620 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
25621 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
25626 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
25628 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
25629 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
25630 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25631 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
25632 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25636 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
25638 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
25639 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25640 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
25644 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
25646 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25647 customizing the group parameters or the
25648 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25649 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25650 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
25654 Instead of the obsolete
25655 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
25656 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
25657 the same way, we promise.
25661 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
25663 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25664 customizing the group parameters or the
25665 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25666 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25667 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25672 Instead of the obsolete
25673 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
25674 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
25675 the same way, we promise.
25679 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
25680 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
25681 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
25682 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
25683 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
25685 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
25686 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
25687 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
25688 Emacs regular expression syntax.
25690 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
25691 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
25692 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
25693 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
25694 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
25695 @file{blacklist} respectively.
25697 @node BBDB Whitelists
25698 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
25699 @cindex spam filtering
25700 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
25701 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
25704 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
25706 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25707 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
25708 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
25709 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
25710 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
25711 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
25712 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25716 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
25718 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
25719 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
25720 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
25721 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
25722 classified as spammers.
25724 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
25725 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
25726 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
25727 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
25732 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
25734 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25735 customizing the group parameters or the
25736 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25737 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
25738 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
25743 Instead of the obsolete
25744 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
25745 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
25746 the same way, we promise.
25750 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
25751 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
25752 @cindex spam reporting
25753 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25754 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
25757 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
25759 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25760 customizing the group parameters or the
25761 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25762 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25763 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
25766 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
25770 Instead of the obsolete
25771 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
25772 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
25773 same way, we promise.
25777 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
25779 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
25780 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
25781 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
25782 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
25783 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
25787 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
25789 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
25790 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
25791 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
25795 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25796 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
25797 @cindex spam filtering
25798 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
25801 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
25803 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
25804 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
25805 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
25806 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
25807 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
25808 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
25813 @subsubsection Blackholes
25814 @cindex spam filtering
25815 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
25818 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
25820 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
25821 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
25822 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
25823 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
25824 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
25825 contains outdated servers.
25827 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
25828 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
25829 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
25830 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
25831 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
25832 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
25836 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
25838 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
25842 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
25844 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
25845 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
25849 @defvar spam-use-dig
25851 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
25852 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
25856 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
25857 ham processor for blackholes.
25859 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
25860 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
25861 @cindex spam filtering
25862 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
25865 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
25867 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
25868 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
25869 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
25870 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
25871 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
25872 message is spam or ham, respectively.
25876 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
25878 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25879 the message, positively identify it as spam.
25883 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
25885 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
25886 the message, positively identify it as ham.
25890 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
25891 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
25894 @subsubsection Bogofilter
25895 @cindex spam filtering
25896 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
25899 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
25901 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25904 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
25905 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
25906 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
25907 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
25908 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
25909 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
25911 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
25912 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
25915 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
25916 processing will be turned off.
25918 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
25927 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
25928 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
25931 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
25933 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
25934 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
25935 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
25936 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
25937 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
25938 installation documents for details.
25940 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
25944 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
25945 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25946 customizing the group parameters or the
25947 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25948 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
25949 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
25953 Instead of the obsolete
25954 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25955 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25956 the same way, we promise.
25959 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
25960 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25961 customizing the group parameters or the
25962 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25963 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25964 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
25965 of non-spam messages.
25969 Instead of the obsolete
25970 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
25971 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
25972 the same way, we promise.
25975 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
25977 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
25978 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
25979 database directory.
25983 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
25984 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25985 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
25986 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
25987 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
25988 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
25990 @node SpamAssassin back end
25991 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
25992 @cindex spam filtering
25993 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
25996 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
25998 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
26000 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
26001 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
26002 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
26003 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
26006 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
26007 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
26008 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
26009 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
26012 You should not enable this if you use
26013 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
26017 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
26019 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
26020 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
26022 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
26026 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
26028 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
26029 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
26030 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
26031 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
26035 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
26036 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
26037 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
26038 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
26039 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
26040 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
26041 to test this functionality.
26043 @node ifile spam filtering
26044 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
26045 @cindex spam filtering
26046 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
26049 @defvar spam-use-ifile
26051 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
26052 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
26056 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
26058 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
26059 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
26060 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
26064 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
26066 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
26067 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
26068 the default value of @samp{spam}.
26071 @defvar spam-ifile-database
26073 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
26074 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
26078 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
26079 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
26080 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
26081 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
26084 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
26085 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
26086 @cindex spam filtering
26087 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
26091 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
26092 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
26093 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
26094 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
26095 spam-stat dictionary}.
26097 @defvar spam-use-stat
26101 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
26102 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26103 customizing the group parameters or the
26104 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
26105 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
26106 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
26110 Instead of the obsolete
26111 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
26112 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
26113 the same way, we promise.
26116 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
26117 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26118 customizing the group parameters or the
26119 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
26120 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
26121 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
26122 of non-spam messages.
26126 Instead of the obsolete
26127 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
26128 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
26129 the same way, we promise.
26132 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
26133 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
26134 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
26135 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
26136 @code{spam-split} are provided.
26139 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
26140 @cindex spam filtering
26144 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
26145 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
26146 installed separately.
26148 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
26149 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
26150 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
26151 mail as a spam mail or not.
26153 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
26154 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
26155 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
26157 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
26160 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
26161 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
26162 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
26163 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
26164 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
26165 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
26166 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
26167 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
26170 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
26171 spam-split-group "Junk"
26172 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
26173 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
26174 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
26177 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
26178 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
26182 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
26183 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
26184 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
26188 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
26189 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
26190 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
26191 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
26192 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
26193 database to live somewhere special, set
26194 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
26197 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
26198 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
26199 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
26200 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
26201 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
26202 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
26203 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
26204 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
26205 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
26206 @xref{Spam Package}.
26208 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
26209 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26210 customizing the group parameter or the
26211 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26212 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
26213 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
26217 Instead of the obsolete
26218 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26219 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26220 the same way, we promise.
26223 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
26224 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
26225 customizing the group parameter or the
26226 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
26227 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
26228 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
26233 Instead of the obsolete
26234 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
26235 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
26236 the same way, we promise.
26239 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
26240 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
26243 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
26244 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
26245 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
26247 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
26248 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
26249 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
26250 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
26251 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
26252 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
26254 @node Extending the Spam package
26255 @subsection Extending the Spam package
26256 @cindex spam filtering
26257 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
26258 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
26260 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
26261 incoming mail, provide the following:
26269 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
26270 "True if blackbox should be used.")
26273 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
26275 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
26276 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
26277 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
26278 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
26279 register/unregister spam and ham.
26284 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
26285 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
26286 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
26287 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
26292 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
26299 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
26300 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
26302 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
26303 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
26304 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
26305 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
26308 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
26309 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
26310 Only applicable to spam groups.")
26312 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
26313 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
26314 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
26323 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
26324 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
26326 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
26327 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
26328 variable customization.
26332 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
26334 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
26335 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
26337 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
26338 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
26344 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
26346 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
26347 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
26348 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
26351 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
26353 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
26354 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
26358 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
26360 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
26361 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
26362 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
26366 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
26368 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
26369 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
26370 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
26373 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
26375 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
26376 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
26380 @code{spam-install-backend}
26382 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
26383 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
26384 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
26387 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
26389 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
26390 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
26391 never install such a back end.
26396 @node Spam Statistics Package
26397 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
26398 @cindex Paul Graham
26399 @cindex Graham, Paul
26400 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
26401 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
26402 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
26404 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
26405 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
26406 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
26407 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
26408 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
26409 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
26410 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
26411 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
26412 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
26415 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
26416 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
26417 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
26418 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
26419 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
26420 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
26421 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
26422 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
26424 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
26425 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
26426 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
26428 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
26429 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
26430 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
26431 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
26432 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
26435 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
26436 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
26437 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
26440 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26441 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
26443 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
26444 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
26445 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
26446 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
26447 need several hundred emails in both collections.
26449 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
26450 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
26451 per mail. Use the following:
26453 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
26454 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
26455 is treated as one spam mail.
26458 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
26459 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
26460 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
26463 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
26464 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
26465 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
26466 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
26467 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
26468 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
26470 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
26471 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
26472 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
26473 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
26474 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
26477 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
26478 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
26479 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
26480 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
26483 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
26484 reset the dictionary.
26486 @defun spam-stat-reset
26487 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
26490 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
26491 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
26492 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
26493 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
26494 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
26495 only non-spam mails.
26497 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
26498 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
26499 to update the dictionary incrementally.
26502 @defun spam-stat-save
26503 Save the dictionary.
26506 @defvar spam-stat-file
26507 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
26508 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
26511 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
26512 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
26514 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
26515 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
26517 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26520 (require 'spam-stat)
26524 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
26527 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
26528 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
26529 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
26530 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
26532 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
26533 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
26534 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
26535 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
26538 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26539 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26543 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
26544 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
26547 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
26548 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
26549 expression are considered potential spam.
26552 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26553 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26554 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26558 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
26559 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
26560 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
26561 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
26562 mails, when creating the dictionary!
26565 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26566 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26567 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26571 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
26572 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
26573 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
26574 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
26575 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
26579 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
26580 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
26581 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
26582 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
26587 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26588 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
26590 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
26592 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
26593 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
26594 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26597 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
26598 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
26599 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
26602 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
26603 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
26604 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
26605 already been processed as non-spam.
26608 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
26609 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
26610 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
26611 been processed as spam.
26614 @defun spam-stat-save
26615 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
26616 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26619 @defun spam-stat-load
26620 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
26621 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
26624 @defun spam-stat-score-word
26625 Return the spam score for a word.
26628 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
26629 Return the spam score for a buffer.
26632 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
26633 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
26634 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
26637 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
26638 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
26641 (require 'spam-stat)
26645 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
26648 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26649 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26650 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26651 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26652 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26653 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26654 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26655 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26656 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26657 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26658 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
26659 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
26660 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26661 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26664 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
26667 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
26668 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
26669 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
26670 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
26671 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
26672 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
26675 @node The Gnus Registry
26676 @section The Gnus Registry
26681 The Gnus registry is a package that tracks messages by their
26682 Message-ID across all backends. This allows Gnus users to do several
26683 cool things, be the envy of the locals, get free haircuts, and be
26684 experts on world issues. Well, maybe not all of those, but the
26685 features are pretty cool.
26687 Although they will be explained in detail shortly, here's a quick list
26688 of said features in case your attention span is... never mind.
26692 Split messages to their parent
26694 This keeps discussions in the same group. You can use the subject and
26695 the sender in addition to the Message-ID. Several strategies are
26699 Store custom flags and keywords
26701 The registry can store custom flags and keywords for a message. For
26702 instance, you can mark a message ``To-Do'' this way and the flag will
26703 persist whether the message is in the nnimap, nnml, nnmaildir,
26707 Store arbitrary data
26709 Through a simple ELisp API, the registry can remember any data for a
26710 message. A built-in inverse map, when activated, allows quick lookups
26711 of all messages matching a particular set of criteria.
26716 * Fancy splitting to parent::
26717 * Store custom flags and keywords::
26718 * Store arbitrary data::
26724 Fortunately, setting up the Gnus registry is pretty easy:
26727 (setq gnus-registry-max-entries 2500
26728 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t)
26730 (gnus-registry-initialize)
26733 This adds registry saves to Gnus newsrc saves (which happen on exit
26734 and when you press @kbd{s} from the @code{*Group*} buffer. It also
26735 adds registry calls to article actions in Gnus (copy, move, etc.) so
26736 it's not easy to undo the initialization. See
26737 @code{gnus-registry-initialize} for the gory details.
26739 Here are other settings used by the author of the registry (understand
26740 what they do before you copy them blindly).
26744 gnus-registry-split-strategy 'majority
26745 gnus-registry-ignored-groups '(("nntp" t)
26749 gnus-registry-max-entries 500000
26750 gnus-registry-use-long-group-names t
26751 gnus-registry-track-extra '(sender subject))
26754 They say: keep a lot of messages around, use long group names, track
26755 messages by sender and subject (not just parent Message-ID), and when
26756 the registry splits incoming mail, use a majority rule to decide where
26757 messages should go if there's more than one possibility. In addition,
26758 the registry should ignore messages in groups that match ``nntp'',
26759 ``nnrss'', ``spam'', or ``train.''
26761 You are doubtless impressed by all this, but you ask: ``I am a Gnus
26762 user, I customize to live. Give me more.'' Here you go, these are
26763 the general settings.
26765 @defvar gnus-registry-unfollowed-groups
26766 The groups that will not be followed by
26767 @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent}. They will still be
26768 remembered by the registry. This is a list of regular expressions.
26771 @defvar gnus-registry-ignored-groups
26772 The groups that will not be remembered by the registry. This is a
26773 list of regular expressions, also available through Group/Topic
26774 customization (so you can ignore or keep a specific group or a whole
26778 @defvar gnus-registry-use-long-group-names
26779 Whether the registry will use long group names. It's recommended to
26780 set this to @code{t}, although everything works if you don't. Future
26781 functionality will require it.
26784 @defvar gnus-registry-max-entries
26785 The number (an integer or @code{nil} for unlimited) of entries the
26786 registry will keep.
26789 @defvar gnus-registry-cache-file
26790 The file where the registry will be stored between Gnus sessions.
26793 @node Fancy splitting to parent
26794 @subsection Fancy splitting to parent
26796 Simply put, this lets you put followup e-mail where it belongs.
26798 Every message has a Message-ID, which is unique, and the registry
26799 remembers it. When the message is moved or copied, the registry will
26800 notice this and offer the new group as a choice to the splitting
26803 When a followup is made, usually it mentions the original message's
26804 Message-ID in the headers. The registry knows this and uses that
26805 mention to find the group where the original message lives. You only
26806 have to put a rule like this:
26809 (setq nnimap-my-split-fancy '(|
26811 ;; split to parent: you need this
26812 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
26814 ;; other rules, as an example
26820 in your fancy split setup. In addition, you may want to customize the
26821 following variables.
26823 @defvar gnus-registry-track-extra
26824 This is a list of symbols, so it's best to change it from the
26825 Customize interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to
26826 track @code{subject} and @code{sender} as well when splitting by parent.
26827 It may work for you. It can be annoying if your mail flow is large and
26828 people don't stick to the same groups.
26831 @defvar gnus-registry-split-strategy
26832 This is a symbol, so it's best to change it from the Customize
26833 interface. By default it's @code{nil}, but you may want to set it to
26834 @code{majority} or @code{first} to split by sender or subject based on
26835 the majority of matches or on the first found.
26838 @node Store custom flags and keywords
26839 @subsection Store custom flags and keywords
26841 The registry lets you set custom flags and keywords per message. You
26842 can use the Gnus->Registry Marks menu or the @kbd{M M x} keyboard
26843 shortcuts, where @code{x} is the first letter of the mark's name.
26845 @defvar gnus-registry-marks
26846 The custom marks that the registry can use. You can modify the
26847 default list, if you like. If you do, you'll have to exit Emacs
26848 before they take effect (you can also unload the registry and reload
26849 it or evaluate the specific macros you'll need, but you probably don't
26850 want to bother). Use the Customize interface to modify the list.
26852 By default this list has the @code{Important}, @code{Work},
26853 @code{Personal}, @code{To-Do}, and @code{Later} marks. They all have
26854 keyboard shortcuts like @kbd{M M i} for Important, using the first
26858 @defun gnus-registry-mark-article
26859 Call this function to mark an article with a custom registry mark. It
26860 will offer the available marks for completion.
26863 @node Store arbitrary data
26864 @subsection Store arbitrary data
26866 The registry has a simple API that uses a Message-ID as the key to
26867 store arbitrary data (as long as it can be converted to a list for
26870 @defun gnus-registry-store-extra-entry (id key value)
26871 Store @code{value} in the extra data key @code{key} for message
26875 @defun gnus-registry-delete-extra-entry (id key)
26876 Delete the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26879 @defun gnus-registry-fetch-extra (id key)
26880 Get the extra data key @code{key} for message @code{id}.
26883 @defvar gnus-registry-extra-entries-precious
26884 If any extra entries are precious, their presence will make the
26885 registry keep the whole entry forever, even if there are no groups for
26886 the Message-ID and if the size limit of the registry is reached. By
26887 default this is just @code{(marks)} so the custom registry marks are
26892 @section Interaction with other modes
26897 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
26898 buffers. It is enabled with
26900 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
26905 @findex gnus-dired-attach
26906 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
26907 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
26908 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
26911 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
26912 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
26913 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
26917 @findex gnus-dired-print
26918 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
26919 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
26922 @node Various Various
26923 @section Various Various
26929 @item gnus-home-directory
26930 @vindex gnus-home-directory
26931 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
26932 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
26934 @item gnus-directory
26935 @vindex gnus-directory
26936 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
26937 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
26938 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
26940 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
26941 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
26942 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
26943 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
26945 @item gnus-default-directory
26946 @vindex gnus-default-directory
26947 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
26948 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
26949 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
26950 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
26951 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
26952 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
26955 @vindex gnus-verbose
26956 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
26957 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
26958 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
26959 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
26960 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
26962 @item gnus-verbose-backends
26963 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
26964 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
26965 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
26967 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26968 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
26969 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
26970 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
26971 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
26972 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
26973 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
26974 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
26975 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
26976 displayed in the echo area.
26978 @item nnheader-max-head-length
26979 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
26980 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
26981 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
26982 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
26983 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
26984 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
26985 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
26986 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
26987 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
26989 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
26990 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
26991 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
26992 read when doing the operation described above.
26994 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26995 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
26997 @cindex invalid characters in file names
26998 @cindex characters in file names
26999 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
27000 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
27001 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
27005 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
27010 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
27011 Windows (phooey) systems.
27013 @item gnus-hidden-properties
27014 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
27015 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
27016 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
27017 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
27019 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
27020 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
27021 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
27022 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
27023 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
27025 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
27026 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
27027 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
27029 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
27030 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
27032 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
27033 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
27034 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
27035 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
27038 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
27040 @item gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
27041 @vindex gnus-safe-html-newsgroups
27042 Groups in which links in html articles are considered all safe. The
27043 value may be a regexp matching those groups, a list of group names, or
27044 @code{nil}. This overrides @code{mm-w3m-safe-url-regexp}. The default
27045 value is @code{"\\`nnrss[+:]"}. This is effective only when emacs-w3m
27046 renders html articles, i.e., in the case @code{mm-text-html-renderer} is
27047 set to @code{w3m}. @xref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization,
27048 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}.
27055 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
27056 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
27058 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
27060 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
27066 Not because of victories @*
27069 but for the common sunshine,@*
27071 the largess of the spring.
27075 but for the day's work done@*
27076 as well as I was able;@*
27077 not for a seat upon the dais@*
27078 but at the common table.@*
27083 @chapter Appendices
27086 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
27087 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
27088 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
27089 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
27090 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
27091 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
27092 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
27093 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
27094 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
27101 @cindex installing under XEmacs
27103 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
27104 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
27105 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
27106 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
27107 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
27108 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
27115 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
27116 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
27118 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
27119 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
27120 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
27121 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
27122 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
27124 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
27125 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
27126 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
27127 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
27128 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
27129 appropriate name, don't you think?)
27131 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
27132 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
27133 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
27134 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
27137 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
27138 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
27139 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
27140 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
27141 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
27142 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
27143 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
27144 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
27145 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
27149 @node Gnus Versions
27150 @subsection Gnus Versions
27152 @cindex September Gnus
27154 @cindex Quassia Gnus
27155 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
27158 @cindex Gnus versions
27160 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
27161 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
27162 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
27164 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
27165 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
27167 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
27168 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
27170 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
27171 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
27173 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
27174 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
27177 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
27178 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
27180 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
27182 On April 19, 2010 Gnus development was moved to Git. See
27183 http://git.gnus.org for details (http://www.gnus.org will be updated
27184 with the information when possible).
27186 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
27187 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
27188 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
27189 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
27190 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
27191 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
27194 @node Other Gnus Versions
27195 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
27198 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
27199 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
27200 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
27201 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
27203 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
27204 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
27205 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
27206 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
27213 What's the point of Gnus?
27215 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
27216 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
27217 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
27218 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
27219 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
27220 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
27221 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
27222 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
27223 keep track of millions of people who post?
27225 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
27226 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
27227 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
27228 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
27229 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
27230 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
27231 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
27232 every one of you to explore and invent.
27234 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
27235 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
27238 @node Compatibility
27239 @subsection Compatibility
27241 @cindex compatibility
27242 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
27243 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
27244 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
27249 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
27253 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
27256 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
27259 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
27260 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
27261 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
27262 important variables have their values copied into their global
27263 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
27264 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
27266 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
27267 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
27268 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
27269 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
27270 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
27274 @cindex highlighting
27275 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
27276 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
27277 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
27278 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
27279 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
27280 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
27283 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
27284 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
27285 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
27286 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
27288 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
27289 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
27290 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
27291 to stop doing it the old way.
27293 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
27295 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
27297 @cindex reporting bugs
27299 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
27300 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
27301 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
27303 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
27304 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
27305 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
27306 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
27311 @subsection Conformity
27313 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
27314 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
27322 There are no known breaches of this standard.
27326 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
27328 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
27329 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
27330 We do have some breaches to this one.
27336 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
27337 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
27338 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
27339 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
27340 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
27345 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
27346 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
27347 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
27348 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
27350 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
27351 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
27352 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
27354 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
27355 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
27357 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
27360 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
27361 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
27362 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
27363 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
27364 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
27367 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
27368 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
27369 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
27370 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
27372 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
27373 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
27375 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
27376 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
27377 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
27378 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
27379 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
27380 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
27381 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
27382 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
27386 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
27387 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
27392 @subsection Emacsen
27398 This version of Gnus should work on:
27406 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
27410 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
27411 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
27412 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
27413 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
27415 @c No-merge comment: The paragraph added in v5-10 here must not be
27418 @node Gnus Development
27419 @subsection Gnus Development
27421 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
27422 discussion on the development mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}, where people
27423 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
27424 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
27425 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
27426 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
27427 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
27428 have names like ``Oort Gnus'' and ``No Gnus''. @xref{Gnus Versions}.
27430 After futzing around for 10-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
27431 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
27432 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.10.1'' instead. Normal people are
27433 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
27434 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup. This newgroup is mirrored to the
27435 mailing list @samp{info-gnus-english@@gnu.org} which is carried on Gmane
27436 as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.user}. These releases are finally integrated
27440 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27441 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27442 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27443 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27444 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27446 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
27447 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
27448 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
27449 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
27450 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
27451 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
27452 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
27453 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
27454 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
27455 can't be assumed to do so.
27457 So if you have problems with or questions about the alpha versions,
27458 direct those to the ding mailing list @samp{ding@@gnus.org}. This list
27459 is also available on Gmane as @samp{gmane.emacs.gnus.general}.
27462 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
27463 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae,
27464 in particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming}. This is to prevent
27465 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
27466 @xref{Mail Source Customization}.
27469 @subsection Contributors
27470 @cindex contributors
27472 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
27473 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
27474 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
27475 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
27476 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
27477 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
27478 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
27479 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
27480 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
27481 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
27483 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
27489 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
27492 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
27493 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
27494 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
27495 functionality and stuff.
27498 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
27499 well as numerous other things).
27502 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
27505 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
27508 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
27511 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
27514 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
27515 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
27518 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
27521 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
27524 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
27527 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
27530 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
27533 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
27536 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
27537 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
27540 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
27543 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
27546 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
27549 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
27553 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
27556 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
27559 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
27562 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
27563 well as autoconf support.
27567 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
27568 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
27570 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
27585 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
27587 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
27591 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
27601 Alexei V. Barantsev,
27616 Massimo Campostrini,
27621 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
27622 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
27626 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
27629 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
27635 Michael Welsh Duggan,
27640 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
27644 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
27652 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
27654 Michelangelo Grigni,
27658 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
27660 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
27662 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
27670 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
27671 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
27672 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
27674 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
27684 Peter Skov Knudsen,
27685 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
27687 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
27688 Thor Kristoffersen,
27691 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
27709 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
27710 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
27717 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
27722 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
27726 John McClary Prevost,
27732 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
27737 Christian von Roques,
27740 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
27747 Philippe Schnoebelen,
27749 Randal L. Schwartz,
27763 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
27768 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
27788 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
27789 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
27790 (550kB and counting).
27792 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
27795 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
27796 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
27800 @subsection New Features
27801 @cindex new features
27804 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
27805 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
27806 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
27807 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
27808 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
27809 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
27810 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
27813 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
27814 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
27815 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
27818 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
27820 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
27825 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
27826 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
27829 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
27830 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
27833 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
27836 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
27837 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
27838 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
27841 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
27842 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
27843 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
27844 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
27847 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
27848 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27851 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
27852 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
27853 (@pxref{The Active File}).
27856 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
27857 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
27860 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
27861 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
27862 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
27865 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
27866 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
27867 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
27870 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
27871 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
27874 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
27875 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
27878 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
27879 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
27882 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
27883 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
27886 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
27887 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
27890 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
27891 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
27894 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
27897 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
27898 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
27901 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
27902 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
27905 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
27906 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
27909 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
27912 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
27913 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
27916 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
27920 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
27924 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
27925 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
27928 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
27934 @node September Gnus
27935 @subsubsection September Gnus
27939 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
27943 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
27948 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
27949 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
27953 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
27954 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
27958 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
27962 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
27963 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
27966 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
27970 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
27973 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
27976 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
27979 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
27983 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
27984 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
27987 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
27991 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
27995 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
27999 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
28003 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
28006 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
28007 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
28010 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
28014 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
28015 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
28018 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
28021 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
28022 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
28023 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
28026 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
28030 The Gnus cache is much faster.
28033 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
28037 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
28038 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
28041 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
28042 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
28045 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
28046 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
28049 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
28050 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
28051 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
28054 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
28055 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
28058 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
28061 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
28064 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
28067 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
28070 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
28071 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
28074 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
28078 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
28081 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
28086 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
28089 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
28093 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
28096 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
28100 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
28103 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
28106 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
28107 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
28110 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
28111 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
28115 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
28116 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
28119 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
28123 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
28124 buffer to allow easier treatment.
28127 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
28130 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
28134 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
28138 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
28139 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
28142 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
28146 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
28147 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
28150 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
28151 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
28154 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
28158 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
28161 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
28164 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
28170 @subsubsection Red Gnus
28172 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
28176 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
28183 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
28186 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
28187 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
28190 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
28191 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
28195 Article washing status can be displayed in the
28196 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
28199 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
28202 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
28203 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
28206 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
28210 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
28211 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
28215 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
28216 Server Internals}).
28219 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
28223 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
28226 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
28227 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
28230 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
28231 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
28232 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
28235 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
28236 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
28239 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
28240 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
28243 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
28247 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
28248 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28251 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
28252 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
28255 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
28259 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
28262 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
28266 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
28267 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
28270 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
28271 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
28274 A new command for reading collections of documents
28275 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
28276 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
28279 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
28283 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
28284 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
28287 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
28288 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
28289 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
28292 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
28293 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
28297 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
28301 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
28305 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
28310 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
28314 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
28318 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
28319 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
28322 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
28328 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
28330 New features in Gnus 5.6:
28335 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
28336 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
28337 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
28340 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
28341 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
28342 group, which is created automatically.
28345 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
28349 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
28352 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
28353 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
28356 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
28360 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
28363 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
28364 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
28367 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
28370 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
28374 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
28375 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
28378 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
28379 control over simplification.
28382 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
28385 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
28389 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
28392 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
28395 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
28396 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
28397 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
28400 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
28401 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
28404 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
28408 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
28409 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
28412 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
28413 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
28416 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
28420 A history of where mails have been split is available.
28423 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
28426 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
28427 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
28430 A new function for citing in Message has been
28431 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
28434 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
28437 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
28441 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
28442 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
28445 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
28446 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
28449 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
28452 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
28456 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
28457 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
28459 New features in Gnus 5.8:
28464 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
28465 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
28467 If you used procmail like in
28470 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
28471 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
28472 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
28473 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
28476 this now has changed to
28480 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
28484 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
28487 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
28488 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
28491 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
28492 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
28495 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
28496 called to position point.
28499 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
28500 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
28503 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
28504 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
28507 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
28508 subtly different manner.
28511 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
28512 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
28513 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
28516 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
28521 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
28524 New features in Gnus 5.10:
28528 @item Installation changes
28529 @c ***********************
28533 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
28535 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
28536 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
28537 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
28538 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
28539 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
28540 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
28541 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
28542 isn't save in general.
28545 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
28546 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
28547 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
28548 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
28549 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
28550 remove-installed-shadows}.
28553 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
28555 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
28556 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
28557 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
28558 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
28559 the second parameter.
28561 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
28562 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
28563 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
28564 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
28565 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
28566 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
28567 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
28568 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
28569 cycle used under Unix systems.
28571 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
28572 superfluous, so they have been removed.
28575 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
28577 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
28578 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
28581 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
28582 @c the repository. We should find a better place for this item.
28584 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
28586 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
28587 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
28588 lisp directory into load-path.
28590 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
28591 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
28595 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
28596 @c *****************************************
28601 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
28602 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
28605 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
28607 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
28608 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
28609 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
28610 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
28613 Improved anti-spam features.
28615 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
28616 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
28617 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
28618 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
28619 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
28620 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
28623 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
28625 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
28626 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
28627 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
28628 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
28629 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
28633 @item Changes in group mode
28634 @c ************************
28639 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
28643 Retrieval of charters and control messages
28645 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
28646 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
28649 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
28651 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
28652 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
28653 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
28654 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
28655 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
28658 (setq gnus-parameters
28660 (gnus-show-threads nil)
28661 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
28662 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
28663 (to-group . "\\1"))))
28667 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
28669 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
28670 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
28671 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
28672 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
28673 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
28674 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
28675 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
28676 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
28677 when getting new mail, remove the function.
28680 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
28682 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
28683 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
28684 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
28687 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
28688 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
28690 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
28691 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
28692 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
28694 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
28698 Old intermediate incoming mail files (@file{Incoming*}) are deleted
28699 after a couple of days, not immediately. @xref{Mail Source
28700 Customization}. (New in Gnus 5.10.10 / Emacs 22.2)
28704 @item Changes in summary and article mode
28705 @c **************************************
28710 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
28711 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
28712 region if the region is active.
28715 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
28716 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
28721 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
28722 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
28723 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
28724 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
28727 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
28732 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
28733 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
28735 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
28736 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
28740 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
28741 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
28744 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
28747 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
28748 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
28751 Warn about email replies to news
28753 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
28754 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
28758 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
28759 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
28763 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
28764 opposed to old but unread messages).
28767 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
28768 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
28771 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
28772 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
28775 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
28776 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
28779 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
28781 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
28782 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
28783 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
28784 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
28787 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
28788 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
28789 Outlook (Express) articles.
28792 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
28794 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
28795 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
28796 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
28797 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
28799 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
28800 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
28801 message cited below.
28804 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
28807 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
28811 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
28814 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
28815 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
28818 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
28821 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
28823 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
28824 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
28825 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
28826 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
28827 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
28831 Deleting of attachments.
28833 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
28834 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
28835 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
28836 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
28837 that support editing.
28840 @code{gnus-default-charset}
28842 The default value is determined from the
28843 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
28844 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
28845 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
28848 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
28850 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
28851 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
28852 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
28855 Extended format specs.
28857 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
28858 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
28859 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
28860 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
28861 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
28862 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
28865 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
28866 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
28868 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
28869 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
28870 out other articles.
28873 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
28875 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
28876 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
28877 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
28878 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
28881 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
28885 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
28886 @c ****************************************************
28893 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
28894 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
28895 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
28898 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
28899 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
28902 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
28903 Gcc articles as read.
28906 Externalizing of attachments
28908 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
28909 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
28910 local files as external parts.
28913 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
28914 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
28917 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
28919 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
28920 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
28921 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
28922 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
28923 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
28924 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
28925 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
28926 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
28927 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
28930 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
28932 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
28933 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
28934 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
28935 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
28936 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
28937 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
28940 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
28941 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
28945 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
28948 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
28950 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
28951 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
28952 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
28953 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
28954 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
28955 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
28956 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
28957 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
28958 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
28959 was inserted directly.
28962 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
28964 @c FIXME should that not be 'message-user-agent?
28965 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
28966 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
28967 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
28968 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
28971 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
28973 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
28975 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
28976 'bbdb-complete-name)
28980 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
28982 Add a new format of match like
28984 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
28985 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28987 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
28989 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
28990 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
28994 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
28996 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
28997 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
28998 need add those two headers too.
29001 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
29002 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
29003 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
29007 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
29008 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
29009 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
29010 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
29011 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
29014 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
29016 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
29019 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
29021 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
29025 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
29027 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
29028 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
29029 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
29030 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
29031 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
29032 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
29033 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
29034 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
29037 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
29038 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
29040 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
29041 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
29042 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
29043 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
29046 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
29049 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
29050 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
29053 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
29056 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
29057 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
29058 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
29059 invalidate the digital signature.
29062 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
29063 decompressed when activated.
29064 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
29067 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
29069 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
29070 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
29071 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
29072 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
29073 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
29076 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
29077 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
29078 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
29079 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.1)
29081 @item @code{auto-fill-mode} is enabled by default in Message mode.
29082 See @code{message-fill-column}. @xref{Various Message Variables, ,
29083 Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
29084 @c New in Gnus 5.10.12 / 5.11 (Emacs 22.3)
29088 @item Changes in back ends
29089 @c ***********************
29093 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
29096 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
29099 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
29101 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
29104 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
29106 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
29107 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
29108 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
29109 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
29110 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
29111 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
29112 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
29113 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
29114 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
29115 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
29116 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
29126 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
29127 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
29130 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
29131 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
29132 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
29133 message, Message Manual}).
29136 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
29137 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars: @kbd{M-x
29138 customize-apropos RET -tool-bar$} should get you started. This is a new
29139 feature in Gnus 5.10.10. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
29141 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
29142 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
29143 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
29148 @item Miscellaneous changes
29149 @c ************************
29156 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
29157 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
29158 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
29159 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
29160 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
29161 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
29162 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
29163 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
29164 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
29165 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
29166 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
29167 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
29168 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
29169 is not needed any more.
29172 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
29174 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
29175 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
29176 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
29181 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
29182 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
29183 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
29187 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
29190 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
29192 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
29199 @subsubsection No Gnus
29202 New features in No Gnus:
29203 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
29205 @include gnus-news.texi
29211 @section The Manual
29215 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
29216 either @code{texi2dvi}
29218 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
29219 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
29221 to get what you hold in your hands now.
29223 The following conventions have been used:
29228 This is a @samp{string}
29231 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
29234 This is a @file{file}
29237 This is a @code{symbol}
29241 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
29245 (setq flargnoze "yes")
29248 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
29251 (setq flumphel 'yes)
29254 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
29255 ever get them confused.
29259 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
29260 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
29261 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
29262 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
29263 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
29264 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
29265 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
29271 @node On Writing Manuals
29272 @section On Writing Manuals
29274 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
29275 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
29276 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
29277 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
29278 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
29279 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
29282 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
29283 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
29284 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
29287 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
29288 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
29293 @section Terminology
29295 @cindex terminology
29300 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
29301 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
29302 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
29303 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
29304 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
29308 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
29309 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
29310 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
29311 not posting, and replying is not following up.
29315 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
29319 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
29324 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
29325 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
29326 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
29327 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
29328 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
29329 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
29330 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
29331 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
29332 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
29335 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
29336 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
29337 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
29338 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
29339 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
29340 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
29342 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
29343 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
29344 access the articles.
29346 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
29347 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
29348 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
29353 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
29354 default, way of getting news.
29358 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
29359 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
29364 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
29365 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
29369 A message that has been posted as news.
29372 @cindex mail message
29373 A message that has been mailed.
29377 A mail message or news article
29381 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
29386 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
29391 A line from the head of an article.
29395 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
29396 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
29398 @item @acronym{NOV}
29399 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
29400 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
29401 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
29402 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
29403 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
29404 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
29406 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
29407 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
29408 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
29409 normal @sc{head} format.
29411 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
29412 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
29413 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
29414 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
29415 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
29418 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
29419 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
29420 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
29421 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
29422 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
29423 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
29424 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
29428 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
29429 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
29430 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
29431 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
29432 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
29433 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
29435 @item killed groups
29436 @cindex killed groups
29437 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
29438 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
29440 @item zombie groups
29441 @cindex zombie groups
29442 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
29445 @cindex active file
29446 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
29447 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
29448 is rather large, as you might surmise.
29451 @cindex bogus groups
29452 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
29453 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
29454 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
29457 @cindex activating groups
29458 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
29459 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
29460 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
29464 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
29465 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
29466 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
29470 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
29472 @item select method
29473 @cindex select method
29474 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
29477 @item virtual server
29478 @cindex virtual server
29479 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
29480 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
29481 whole is a virtual server.
29485 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
29486 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
29489 @item ephemeral groups
29490 @cindex ephemeral groups
29491 @cindex temporary groups
29492 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
29493 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
29494 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
29497 @cindex solid groups
29498 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
29499 group buffer are solid groups.
29501 @item sparse articles
29502 @cindex sparse articles
29503 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
29504 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
29508 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
29509 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
29513 @cindex thread root
29514 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
29515 articles in the thread.
29519 An article that has responses.
29523 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
29527 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
29528 specified by RFC 1153.
29531 @cindex splitting, terminology
29532 @cindex mail sorting
29533 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
29534 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
29535 incorrectly called mail filtering.
29541 @node Customization
29542 @section Customization
29543 @cindex general customization
29545 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
29546 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
29547 for some quite common situations.
29550 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
29551 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
29552 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
29553 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
29557 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
29558 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
29560 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
29561 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
29562 Gnus has to get from the server.
29566 @item gnus-read-active-file
29567 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
29568 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
29569 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29570 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
29571 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
29573 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
29574 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
29575 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
29576 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
29577 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
29578 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
29579 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
29580 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
29581 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
29582 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
29583 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
29585 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
29586 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
29587 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
29588 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}, and
29589 @code{nnwarchive-nov-is-evil}. Note that a non-@code{nil} value for
29590 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those variables.@footnote{Although
29591 the back ends @code{nnkiboze}, @code{nnslashdot}, @code{nnultimate}, and
29592 @code{nnwfm} don't have their own nn*-nov-is-evil.}
29596 @node Slow Terminal Connection
29597 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
29599 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
29600 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
29601 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
29605 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
29606 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
29607 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
29608 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
29609 horizontal and vertical recentering.
29611 @item gnus-visible-headers
29612 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
29613 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
29614 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
29615 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
29617 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
29619 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
29620 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
29621 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
29624 @item gnus-use-full-window
29625 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
29626 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
29627 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
29628 want to read them anyway.
29630 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
29631 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
29635 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
29636 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
29637 lines, which might save some time.
29641 @node Little Disk Space
29642 @subsection Little Disk Space
29645 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
29646 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
29650 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
29651 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
29652 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29653 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29656 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
29657 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
29658 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
29659 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
29662 @item gnus-save-killed-list
29663 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
29664 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
29665 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
29666 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
29672 @subsection Slow Machine
29673 @cindex slow machine
29675 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
29676 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
29678 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
29679 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
29681 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
29682 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
29683 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
29687 @node Troubleshooting
29688 @section Troubleshooting
29689 @cindex troubleshooting
29691 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
29699 Make sure your computer is switched on.
29702 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
29703 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
29707 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
29709 @samp{No Gnus v0.10} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
29711 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
29712 files lying around. Delete these.
29715 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
29716 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
29719 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
29720 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
29721 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
29722 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
29723 something like that.
29726 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
29729 @cindex reporting bugs
29731 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
29733 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
29734 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
29735 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
29736 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
29738 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
29739 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
29740 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
29741 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
29744 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
29745 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
29746 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
29747 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
29748 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
29749 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
29751 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
29752 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
29753 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
29757 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
29758 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
29761 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
29762 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
29763 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
29764 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
29765 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
29766 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
29767 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
29768 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
29769 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
29770 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
29771 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
29772 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
29773 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
29774 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
29779 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
29780 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
29781 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
29782 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
29783 helps isolating the real problem areas).
29785 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
29786 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
29787 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
29788 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
29789 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
29790 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
29791 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
29792 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
29793 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
29794 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
29795 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
29796 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
29797 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
29800 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
29801 @cindex ding mailing list
29802 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
29803 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
29804 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
29805 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
29809 @node Gnus Reference Guide
29810 @section Gnus Reference Guide
29812 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
29813 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
29814 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
29815 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
29818 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
29819 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
29820 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
29821 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
29822 and general methods of operation.
29825 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
29826 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
29827 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
29828 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
29829 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
29830 * Group Info:: The group info format.
29831 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
29832 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
29833 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
29837 @node Gnus Utility Functions
29838 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
29839 @cindex Gnus utility functions
29840 @cindex utility functions
29842 @cindex internal variables
29844 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
29845 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
29846 Below is a list of the most common ones.
29850 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
29851 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
29852 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
29854 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
29855 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
29856 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
29858 @item gnus-group-real-name
29859 @findex gnus-group-real-name
29860 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
29863 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
29864 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
29865 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
29866 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
29868 @item gnus-get-info
29869 @findex gnus-get-info
29870 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
29872 @item gnus-group-unread
29873 @findex gnus-group-unread
29874 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
29878 @findex gnus-active
29879 The active entry for @var{group}.
29881 @item gnus-set-active
29882 @findex gnus-set-active
29883 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
29885 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29886 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
29887 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
29890 @item gnus-continuum-version
29891 @findex gnus-continuum-version
29892 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
29893 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
29896 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
29897 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
29898 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
29900 @item gnus-news-group-p
29901 @findex gnus-news-group-p
29902 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
29904 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29905 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
29906 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
29908 @item gnus-server-to-method
29909 @findex gnus-server-to-method
29910 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
29912 @item gnus-server-equal
29913 @findex gnus-server-equal
29914 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
29916 @item gnus-group-native-p
29917 @findex gnus-group-native-p
29918 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
29920 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
29921 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
29922 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
29924 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
29925 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
29926 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
29928 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
29929 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
29930 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
29931 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
29933 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
29934 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
29935 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
29937 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
29938 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
29939 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
29941 @item gnus-check-backend-function
29942 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
29943 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
29944 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
29947 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
29951 @item gnus-read-method
29952 @findex gnus-read-method
29953 Prompts the user for a select method.
29958 @node Back End Interface
29959 @subsection Back End Interface
29961 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
29962 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
29963 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
29964 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
29965 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
29966 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
29968 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
29969 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
29970 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
29971 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
29972 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
29973 been opened, the function should fail.
29975 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
29976 name. Take this example:
29980 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
29981 (nntp-port-number 4324))
29984 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
29985 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
29987 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
29988 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
29989 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
29991 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
29992 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
29993 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
29995 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
29996 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
29997 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
29998 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
29999 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
30000 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
30003 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
30004 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
30005 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
30006 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
30009 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
30010 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
30011 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
30012 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
30013 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
30014 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
30015 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
30016 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
30017 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
30018 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
30020 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
30021 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
30022 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
30023 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
30024 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
30025 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
30026 of numbers as long as possible.
30028 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
30029 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
30030 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
30032 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
30035 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
30038 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
30039 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
30040 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
30041 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
30042 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
30043 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
30047 @node Required Back End Functions
30048 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
30052 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
30054 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
30055 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
30056 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
30057 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
30059 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
30060 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
30061 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
30062 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
30064 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
30065 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
30066 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
30067 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
30068 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
30069 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
30070 number, do maximum fetches.
30072 Here's an example HEAD:
30075 221 1056 Article retrieved.
30076 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
30077 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
30078 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
30079 Subject: Re: Something very droll
30080 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
30081 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
30083 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
30084 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
30085 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
30089 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
30090 these in the data buffer.
30092 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
30096 head = error / valid-head
30097 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
30098 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
30099 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
30100 header = <text> eol
30104 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
30106 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
30107 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
30111 nov-buffer = *nov-line
30112 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
30113 field = <text except TAB>
30116 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
30120 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
30122 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
30123 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
30125 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
30126 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
30127 server. In fact, it should do so.
30129 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
30130 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
30133 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
30135 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
30136 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
30139 There should be no data returned.
30142 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
30144 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
30145 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
30146 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
30147 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
30149 There should be no data returned.
30152 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
30154 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
30155 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
30156 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
30157 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
30159 There should be no data returned.
30162 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
30164 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
30166 There should be no data returned.
30169 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
30171 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
30172 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
30173 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
30174 it would be nice if that were possible.
30176 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
30177 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
30178 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
30179 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
30180 into its article buffer.
30182 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
30183 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
30184 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
30185 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
30186 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
30187 on successful article retrieval.
30190 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
30192 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
30193 making @var{group} the current group.
30195 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
30198 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
30201 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
30204 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
30205 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
30206 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
30207 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
30208 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
30209 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
30210 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
30211 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
30212 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
30216 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
30217 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
30218 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
30222 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
30224 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
30225 a no-op on most back ends.
30227 There should be no data returned.
30230 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
30232 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
30235 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
30238 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
30239 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
30242 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
30243 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
30244 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
30245 and the highest as 0.
30248 active-file = *active-line
30249 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
30251 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
30254 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
30255 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
30256 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
30259 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
30261 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
30262 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
30263 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
30264 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
30265 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
30266 clear if the posting could not be completed.
30268 There should be no result data from this function.
30273 @node Optional Back End Functions
30274 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
30278 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
30280 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
30281 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
30282 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
30284 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
30285 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
30286 former is in the same format as the data from
30287 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
30288 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
30291 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
30295 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
30297 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
30298 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
30299 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
30300 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
30301 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
30302 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
30303 the network resources).
30305 There should be no result data from this function.
30308 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
30310 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
30311 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
30312 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
30313 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
30314 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
30315 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
30316 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
30317 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
30319 There should be no result data from this function.
30322 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
30324 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
30325 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
30326 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
30327 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
30328 propagate the mark information to the server.
30330 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
30333 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
30336 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
30337 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
30338 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
30339 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
30340 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
30341 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
30342 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
30343 possible, not limit itself to these.
30345 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
30346 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
30347 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
30348 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
30350 An example action list:
30353 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
30354 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
30355 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
30358 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
30359 mark on (currently not used for anything).
30361 There should be no result data from this function.
30363 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
30365 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
30366 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
30367 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
30368 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
30369 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
30371 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
30372 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
30373 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
30376 There should be no result data from this function.
30379 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
30381 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
30382 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
30383 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
30384 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
30385 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
30386 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
30387 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
30388 local if that's practical.
30390 There should be no result data from this function.
30393 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
30395 The result data from this function should be a description of
30399 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
30401 description = <text>
30404 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
30406 The result data from this function should be the description of all
30407 groups available on the server.
30410 description-buffer = *description-line
30414 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
30416 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
30417 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
30418 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
30419 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
30420 in the active buffer format.
30422 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
30423 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
30424 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
30425 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
30426 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
30427 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
30428 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
30431 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
30433 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
30435 There should be no return data.
30438 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
30440 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
30441 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
30442 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
30443 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
30444 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
30447 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
30450 There should be no result data returned.
30453 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
30455 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
30456 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
30458 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
30459 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
30460 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
30461 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
30462 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
30463 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
30465 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
30466 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
30469 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30470 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30472 There should be no data returned.
30475 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
30477 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
30478 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
30479 this function in short order.
30481 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
30482 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
30484 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
30485 article for that group.
30487 There should be no data returned.
30490 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
30492 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
30493 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
30495 There should be no data returned.
30498 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
30500 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
30501 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
30502 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
30504 There should be no data returned.
30507 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
30509 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
30510 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
30512 There should be no data returned.
30517 @node Error Messaging
30518 @subsubsection Error Messaging
30520 @findex nnheader-report
30521 @findex nnheader-get-report
30522 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
30523 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
30524 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
30525 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
30526 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
30527 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
30530 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
30532 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
30535 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
30536 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
30537 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
30538 takes one argument---the server symbol.
30540 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
30541 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
30542 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
30545 @node Writing New Back Ends
30546 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
30548 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
30549 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
30550 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
30551 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
30552 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
30555 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
30556 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
30557 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
30559 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
30560 package called @code{nnoo}.
30562 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
30563 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
30569 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
30570 parameters. For instance:
30573 (nnoo-declare nndir
30577 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
30578 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
30581 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
30582 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
30583 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
30585 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
30586 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
30587 a function in those back ends.
30590 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30591 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30592 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30595 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
30596 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
30597 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
30599 @item nnoo-define-basics
30600 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
30604 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30608 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
30609 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
30610 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
30612 @item nnoo-map-functions
30613 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
30614 functions from the parent back ends.
30617 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30618 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30619 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
30622 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
30623 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
30624 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
30625 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
30628 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
30629 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
30630 haven't already been defined.
30636 nnmh-request-newgroups)
30640 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
30641 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
30642 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
30647 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
30650 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
30651 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,1996 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
30655 (require 'nnheader)
30659 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
30661 (nnoo-declare nndir
30664 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
30665 "Where nndir will look for groups."
30666 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
30668 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
30669 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
30672 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
30674 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
30675 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
30676 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
30678 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
30679 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
30681 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
30683 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
30685 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
30686 (setq nndir-directory
30687 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
30689 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
30690 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
30691 (push `(nndir-current-group
30692 ,(file-name-nondirectory
30693 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30695 (push `(nndir-top-directory
30696 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
30698 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
30700 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
30701 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30702 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
30703 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
30704 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
30708 nnmh-status-message
30710 nnmh-request-newgroups))
30716 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30717 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
30719 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
30720 @findex gnus-declare-backend
30721 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
30722 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
30723 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
30725 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
30726 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
30731 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
30734 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
30736 The abilities can be:
30740 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
30742 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
30744 This back end supports both mail and news.
30746 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
30749 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
30750 articles and groups.
30752 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
30753 true for almost all back ends.
30754 @item prompt-address
30755 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
30756 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
30757 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
30761 @node Mail-like Back Ends
30762 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
30764 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
30765 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
30766 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
30767 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
30770 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
30771 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
30772 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
30775 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
30776 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
30779 This function takes four parameters.
30783 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
30786 @item exit-function
30787 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
30789 @item temp-directory
30790 Where the temporary files should be stored.
30793 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
30794 performed for one group only.
30797 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
30798 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
30799 find the article number assigned to this article.
30801 The function also uses the following variables:
30802 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
30803 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
30804 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
30805 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
30809 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
30810 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
30814 @node Score File Syntax
30815 @subsection Score File Syntax
30817 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
30818 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
30819 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
30821 Here's a typical score file:
30825 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
30832 BNF definition of a score file:
30835 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
30836 element = rule / atom
30837 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
30838 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
30839 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
30840 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
30842 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
30843 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
30844 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
30845 date-header = "date"
30846 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30847 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30848 score = "nil" / <integer>
30849 date = "nil" / <natural number>
30850 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
30851 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
30852 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
30853 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
30854 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30855 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
30856 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
30857 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
30858 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
30859 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
30860 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
30861 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
30862 exclude-files / read-only / touched
30863 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
30864 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
30865 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
30866 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
30867 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
30868 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
30869 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
30870 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
30871 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
30872 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
30873 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
30874 eval = "eval" space <form>
30875 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
30878 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
30881 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
30882 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
30883 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
30884 one looong line, then that's ok.
30886 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
30887 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
30891 @subsection Headers
30893 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
30894 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
30895 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
30896 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
30898 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
30899 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
30900 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
30901 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
30902 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
30903 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
30904 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
30906 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
30907 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
30908 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
30909 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
30910 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
30912 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
30913 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
30919 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
30920 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
30922 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
30923 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
30924 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
30925 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
30927 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
30931 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
30934 is transformed into
30937 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
30940 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
30941 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
30944 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
30947 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
30948 is slightly tricky:
30951 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
30957 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
30960 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
30966 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
30973 and is equal to the previous range.
30975 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
30976 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
30977 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
30981 range = simple-range / normal-range
30982 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
30983 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
30984 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
30985 number *[ " " contents ]
30988 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
30989 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
30990 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
30991 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
30992 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
30997 @subsection Group Info
30999 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
31000 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
31001 describes the group.
31003 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
31004 second is a more complex one:
31007 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
31009 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
31010 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
31012 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
31015 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
31016 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
31017 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
31018 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
31019 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
31020 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
31021 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
31022 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
31023 this section is about.
31025 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
31026 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
31027 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
31029 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
31032 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
31033 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
31034 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
31035 group = quote <string> quote
31036 ralevel = rank / level
31037 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
31038 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
31039 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
31041 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
31042 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
31043 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
31044 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
31047 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
31048 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
31051 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
31052 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
31055 @item gnus-info-group
31056 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
31057 @findex gnus-info-group
31058 @findex gnus-info-set-group
31059 Get/set the group name.
31061 @item gnus-info-rank
31062 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
31063 @findex gnus-info-rank
31064 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
31065 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
31067 @item gnus-info-level
31068 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
31069 @findex gnus-info-level
31070 @findex gnus-info-set-level
31071 Get/set the group level.
31073 @item gnus-info-score
31074 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
31075 @findex gnus-info-score
31076 @findex gnus-info-set-score
31077 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
31079 @item gnus-info-read
31080 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
31081 @findex gnus-info-read
31082 @findex gnus-info-set-read
31083 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
31085 @item gnus-info-marks
31086 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
31087 @findex gnus-info-marks
31088 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
31089 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
31091 @item gnus-info-method
31092 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
31093 @findex gnus-info-method
31094 @findex gnus-info-set-method
31095 Get/set the group select method.
31097 @item gnus-info-params
31098 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
31099 @findex gnus-info-params
31100 @findex gnus-info-set-params
31101 Get/set the group parameters.
31104 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
31105 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
31107 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
31108 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
31109 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
31110 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
31113 @node Extended Interactive
31114 @subsection Extended Interactive
31115 @cindex interactive
31116 @findex gnus-interactive
31118 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
31119 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
31120 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
31123 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
31124 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
31129 The best thing to do would have been to implement
31130 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
31131 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
31132 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
31133 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
31134 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
31135 @code{interactive}.
31137 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
31142 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
31143 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
31147 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
31148 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
31149 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
31152 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
31156 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
31160 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
31166 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
31167 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
31171 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
31172 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
31173 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
31175 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
31176 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
31177 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
31178 Gnus, that's very useful.
31180 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
31181 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
31182 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
31183 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
31184 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
31185 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
31186 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
31187 following function:
31190 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
31194 (,function ,@@args))
31198 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
31199 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
31200 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
31203 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
31204 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
31205 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
31207 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
31208 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
31209 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
31212 @node Various File Formats
31213 @subsection Various File Formats
31216 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
31217 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
31221 @node Active File Format
31222 @subsubsection Active File Format
31224 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
31225 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
31228 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
31231 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
31232 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
31233 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
31234 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
31235 no.general 1000 900 y
31238 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
31241 active = *group-line
31242 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
31243 group = <non-white-space string>
31245 high-number = <non-negative integer>
31246 low-number = <positive integer>
31247 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
31250 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
31251 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
31254 @node Newsgroups File Format
31255 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
31257 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
31258 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
31259 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
31262 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
31263 Here's the definition:
31267 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
31268 group = <non-white-space string>
31270 description = <string>
31275 @node Emacs for Heathens
31276 @section Emacs for Heathens
31278 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
31279 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
31280 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
31281 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
31282 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
31283 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
31284 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
31288 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
31289 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
31294 @subsection Keystrokes
31298 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
31301 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
31304 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
31305 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
31306 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
31307 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
31308 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
31309 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
31311 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
31312 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
31313 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
31314 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
31315 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
31316 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
31317 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
31319 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
31320 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
31321 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
31322 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
31323 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
31324 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
31325 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
31327 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
31328 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
31329 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
31330 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
31331 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
31337 @subsection Emacs Lisp
31339 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
31340 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
31341 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
31342 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
31344 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
31345 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
31346 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
31347 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
31348 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
31349 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
31350 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
31351 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
31352 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
31353 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
31355 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
31356 write the following:
31359 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
31362 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
31363 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
31364 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
31365 change how Gnus works.
31367 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
31368 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
31369 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
31370 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
31371 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
31373 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
31374 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
31375 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
31379 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
31383 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
31386 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
31387 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
31390 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
31393 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
31394 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
31397 @include gnus-faq.texi
31399 @node GNU Free Documentation License
31400 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
31401 @include doclicense.texi
31419 @c Local Variables:
31421 @c coding: iso-8859-1
31425 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819