10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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284 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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293 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
295 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
298 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
299 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
300 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
301 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
302 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
303 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
304 License'' in the Emacs manual.
306 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
307 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
308 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
310 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
311 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
312 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
313 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
321 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
323 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
324 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
326 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
327 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
328 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
329 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
330 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
331 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
332 License'' in the Emacs manual.
334 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
335 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
336 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
338 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
339 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
340 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
341 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
349 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
352 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
353 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
355 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
357 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
358 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
359 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
360 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
361 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
362 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
363 License'' in the Emacs manual.
365 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
366 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
367 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
369 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
370 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
371 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
372 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
381 @top The Gnus Newsreader
385 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
386 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
387 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
390 This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v0.15.
401 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
402 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
404 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
405 being accused of plagiarism:
407 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
408 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
409 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
410 can even read news with it!
412 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
413 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
414 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
415 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
416 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
422 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
423 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
424 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
425 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
426 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
427 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
428 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
429 * Various:: General purpose settings.
430 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
431 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
432 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
433 * Key Index:: Key Index.
435 Other related manuals
437 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
438 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
439 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
440 * PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
443 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
447 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
448 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
449 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
450 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
451 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
452 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
453 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
454 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
455 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
456 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
457 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
461 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
462 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
463 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
467 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
468 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
469 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
470 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
471 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
472 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
473 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
474 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
475 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
476 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
477 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
478 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
479 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
480 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
481 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
482 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
483 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
487 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
488 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
489 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
493 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
494 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
495 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
496 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
497 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
501 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
502 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
503 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
504 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
505 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
509 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
510 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
511 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
512 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
513 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
514 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
515 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
516 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
517 * Threading:: How threads are made.
518 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
519 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
520 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
521 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
522 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
523 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
524 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
525 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
526 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
527 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
528 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
529 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
530 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
531 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
532 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
533 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
534 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
535 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
536 or reselecting the current group.
537 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
538 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
539 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
540 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
542 Summary Buffer Format
544 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
545 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
546 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
547 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
551 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
552 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
554 Reply, Followup and Post
556 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
557 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
558 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
559 * Canceling and Superseding::
563 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
564 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
565 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
567 * Generic Marking Commands::
568 * Setting Process Marks::
572 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
573 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
574 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
578 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
579 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
581 Customizing Threading
583 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
584 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
585 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
586 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
590 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
591 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
592 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
593 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
594 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
595 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
599 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
600 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
601 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
605 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
606 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
607 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
608 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
609 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
610 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
611 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
612 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
613 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
614 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
616 Alternative Approaches
618 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
619 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
621 Various Summary Stuff
623 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
624 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
625 * Summary Generation Commands::
626 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
630 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
631 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
632 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
633 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
634 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
638 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
639 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
640 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
641 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
642 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
643 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
644 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
645 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
649 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
650 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
651 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
652 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
653 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
654 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
655 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
656 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
660 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
661 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
662 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
663 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
664 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
665 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
666 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
670 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
671 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
675 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
676 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
677 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
681 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
682 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
683 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
684 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
685 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
686 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
687 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
688 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
689 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
690 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
691 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
692 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
693 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
697 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
698 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
699 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
701 Choosing a Mail Back End
703 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
704 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
705 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
706 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
707 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
708 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
713 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
714 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
715 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
716 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
717 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
718 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
722 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
723 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
724 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
725 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
726 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
730 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
731 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
732 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
733 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
734 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
738 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
742 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
743 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
744 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
748 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
749 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
753 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
754 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
755 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
756 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
757 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
758 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
759 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
760 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
761 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
762 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
763 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
764 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
768 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
769 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
770 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
774 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
775 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
776 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
780 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
781 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
782 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
783 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
784 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
785 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
786 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
787 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
788 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
789 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
790 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
791 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
792 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
793 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
794 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
795 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
796 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
800 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
801 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
802 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
803 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
807 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
808 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
809 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
813 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
814 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
815 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
816 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
817 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
818 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
819 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
820 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
821 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
822 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
823 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
824 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
825 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
826 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
827 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
828 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
829 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
830 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
831 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
835 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
836 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
837 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
838 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
839 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
840 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
841 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
842 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
846 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
847 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
848 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
849 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
853 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
854 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
855 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
856 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
857 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
858 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
862 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
863 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
864 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
865 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
866 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
867 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
868 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
869 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
870 * Frequently Asked Questions::
874 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
875 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
876 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
877 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
878 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
879 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
880 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
881 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
882 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
886 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
887 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
888 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
889 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
890 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
894 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
895 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
896 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
897 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
901 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
902 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
903 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
904 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
905 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
906 * Group Info:: The group info format.
907 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
908 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
909 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
913 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
914 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
915 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
916 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
917 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
918 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
922 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
923 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
927 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
928 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
934 @chapter Starting Gnus
939 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
940 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
943 @findex gnus-other-frame
944 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
945 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
946 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
948 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
949 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
950 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
952 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
953 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
956 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
957 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
958 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
959 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
960 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
961 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
962 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
963 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
964 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
965 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
966 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
970 @node Finding the News
971 @section Finding the News
974 @vindex gnus-select-method
976 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
977 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
978 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
979 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
982 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
983 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
986 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
989 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
992 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
995 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
996 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
997 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
999 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1001 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1002 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1003 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1004 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1005 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1006 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1008 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1009 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1010 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1011 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1013 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1014 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1015 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1016 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1017 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1018 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1019 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1020 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1021 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1024 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1026 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1027 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1028 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1029 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1030 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1031 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1033 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1035 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1036 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1037 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1038 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1039 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1040 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1043 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1044 you would typically set this variable to
1047 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1051 @node The First Time
1052 @section The First Time
1053 @cindex first time usage
1055 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
1056 be subscribed by default.
1058 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1059 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1060 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1061 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1064 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1065 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1066 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1068 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1069 help you with most common problems.
1071 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1072 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1076 @node The Server is Down
1077 @section The Server is Down
1078 @cindex server errors
1080 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1081 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1082 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1084 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1085 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1086 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1087 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1088 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1089 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1090 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1092 @findex gnus-no-server
1093 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1095 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1096 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1097 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1098 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1099 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1100 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1101 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1105 @section Slave Gnusae
1108 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1109 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1110 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1111 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1113 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1114 @file{.newsrc} file.
1116 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1117 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1118 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1119 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1120 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1121 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1122 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1125 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1126 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1127 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1128 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1129 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1130 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1131 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1132 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1134 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1135 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1137 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1138 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1139 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1140 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1141 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1143 @node Fetching a Group
1144 @section Fetching a Group
1145 @cindex fetching a group
1147 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1148 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1149 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1150 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1151 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1152 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1158 @cindex subscription
1160 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1161 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1162 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1163 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1164 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1165 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1166 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1167 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1168 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1171 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1172 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1173 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1177 @node Checking New Groups
1178 @subsection Checking New Groups
1180 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1181 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1182 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1183 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1184 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1185 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1186 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1187 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1188 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1189 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1191 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1192 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1193 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1194 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1195 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1196 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1197 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1198 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1199 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1200 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1201 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1203 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1204 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1205 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1206 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1207 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1208 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1211 @node Subscription Methods
1212 @subsection Subscription Methods
1214 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1215 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1216 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1218 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1219 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1221 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1225 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1226 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1227 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1228 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1229 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1231 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1232 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1233 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1234 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1236 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1237 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1238 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1240 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1242 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1243 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1244 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1245 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1246 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1247 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1248 up. Or something like that.
1250 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1251 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1252 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1253 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1254 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1256 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1257 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1258 Kill all new groups.
1260 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1261 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1262 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1263 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1264 topic parameter that looks like
1270 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1273 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1278 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1279 A closely related variable is
1280 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1281 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1282 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1283 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1286 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1287 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1288 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1289 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1292 @node Filtering New Groups
1293 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1295 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1296 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1297 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1300 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1303 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1304 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1305 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1306 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1307 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1308 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1309 subscribing these groups.
1310 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1311 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1313 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1314 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1315 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1316 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1317 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1318 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1319 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1320 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1322 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1323 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1324 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1325 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1326 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1327 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1328 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1329 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1330 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1331 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1334 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1335 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1338 @node Changing Servers
1339 @section Changing Servers
1340 @cindex changing servers
1342 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1343 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1344 very flaky and you want to use another.
1346 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1347 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1351 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1352 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1353 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1354 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1357 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1358 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1359 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1360 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1362 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1363 @findex gnus-change-server
1364 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1365 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1366 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1367 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1368 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1370 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1371 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1372 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1373 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1374 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1376 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1377 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1378 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1379 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1380 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1381 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1383 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1384 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1385 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1386 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1388 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1389 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1390 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1391 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1392 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1393 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1394 cache for all groups).
1398 @section Startup Files
1399 @cindex startup files
1404 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1405 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1407 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1408 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1409 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1410 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1411 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1412 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1413 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1415 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1416 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1417 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1418 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1419 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1420 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1422 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1423 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1424 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1425 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1426 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1427 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1428 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1429 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1430 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1431 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1433 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1434 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1435 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1436 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1437 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1438 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1439 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1440 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1441 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1442 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1443 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1444 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1446 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1447 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1448 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1449 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1451 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1452 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1453 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1454 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1455 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1456 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1457 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1458 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1459 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1460 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1463 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1464 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1466 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1467 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1470 @vindex gnus-init-file
1471 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1472 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1473 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1474 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1475 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1476 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1477 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1478 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1479 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1480 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1486 @cindex dribble file
1489 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1490 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1491 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1492 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1493 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1496 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1497 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1500 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1501 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1502 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1504 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1505 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1506 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1507 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1508 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1509 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1511 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1512 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1513 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1516 @node The Active File
1517 @section The Active File
1519 @cindex ignored groups
1521 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1522 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1523 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1525 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1526 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1527 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1528 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1529 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1530 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1531 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1534 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1535 @c if you set it to anything else.
1537 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1539 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1540 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1541 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1543 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1544 you actually subscribe to.
1546 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1547 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1548 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1549 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1551 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1552 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1553 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1554 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1555 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1556 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1558 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1559 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1560 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1563 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1564 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1565 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1566 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1567 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1568 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1570 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1571 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1573 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1574 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1576 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1577 secondary select methods.
1580 @node Startup Variables
1581 @section Startup Variables
1585 @item gnus-load-hook
1586 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1587 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1588 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1589 times you start Gnus.
1591 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1592 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1593 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1595 @item gnus-startup-hook
1596 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1597 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1599 @item gnus-started-hook
1600 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1601 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1604 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1605 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1606 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1607 generating the group buffer.
1609 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1610 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1611 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1612 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1613 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1614 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1615 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1616 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1618 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1619 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1620 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1621 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1622 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1623 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1625 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1626 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1627 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1629 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1630 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1631 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1633 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1634 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1635 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1636 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1642 @chapter Group Buffer
1643 @cindex group buffer
1645 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1647 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1648 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1649 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1650 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1651 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1652 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1653 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1654 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1655 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1656 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1657 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1658 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1659 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1660 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1661 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1662 @c human rights at 9...
1665 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1666 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1667 long as Gnus is active.
1671 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1672 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1673 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1674 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1675 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1676 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1677 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1678 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1684 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1685 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1686 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1687 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1688 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1689 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1690 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1691 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1692 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1693 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1694 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1695 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1696 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1697 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1698 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1699 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1700 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1704 @node Group Buffer Format
1705 @section Group Buffer Format
1708 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1709 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1710 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1714 @node Group Line Specification
1715 @subsection Group Line Specification
1716 @cindex group buffer format
1718 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1719 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1721 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1724 25: news.announce.newusers
1725 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1730 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1731 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1732 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1733 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1735 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1736 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1737 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1738 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1739 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1740 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1742 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1744 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1745 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1746 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1747 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1748 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1750 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1751 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1752 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1754 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1759 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1762 Whether the group is subscribed.
1765 Level of subscribedness.
1768 Number of unread articles.
1771 Number of dormant articles.
1774 Number of ticked articles.
1777 Number of read articles.
1780 Number of unseen articles.
1783 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1784 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1786 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1787 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1788 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1789 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1790 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1791 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1792 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1793 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1796 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1799 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1808 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1809 comment element in the group parameters.
1812 Newsgroup description.
1815 @samp{m} if moderated.
1818 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1824 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1830 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1834 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1837 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1838 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1839 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1840 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1841 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1844 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1846 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1850 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1853 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1857 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1858 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1859 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1860 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1861 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1862 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1867 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1868 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1869 group, or a bogus native group.
1872 @node Group Modeline Specification
1873 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1874 @cindex group modeline
1876 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1877 The mode line can be changed by setting
1878 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1879 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1883 The native news server.
1885 The native select method.
1889 @node Group Highlighting
1890 @subsection Group Highlighting
1891 @cindex highlighting
1892 @cindex group highlighting
1894 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1895 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1896 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1897 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1898 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1900 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1904 (cond (window-system
1905 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1906 (defface my-group-face-1
1907 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1908 (defface my-group-face-2
1909 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1910 (defface my-group-face-3
1911 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1912 (defface my-group-face-4
1913 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1914 (defface my-group-face-5
1915 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1917 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1918 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1919 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1920 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1921 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1922 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1925 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1927 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1934 The number of unread articles in the group.
1938 Whether the group is a mail group.
1940 The level of the group.
1942 The score of the group.
1944 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1946 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1947 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1949 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1950 topic being inserted.
1953 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1954 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1955 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1957 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1958 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1959 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1960 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1961 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1964 @node Group Maneuvering
1965 @section Group Maneuvering
1966 @cindex group movement
1968 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1969 expected, hopefully.
1975 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1976 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1977 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1983 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1984 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1985 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1989 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1990 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1994 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1995 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1999 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2000 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2001 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2005 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2006 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2007 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2010 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2016 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2017 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2018 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2023 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2024 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2025 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2029 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2030 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2031 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2034 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2035 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2036 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2037 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2041 @node Selecting a Group
2042 @section Selecting a Group
2043 @cindex group selection
2048 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2049 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2050 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2051 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2052 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2053 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2054 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2055 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2056 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2057 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2059 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2060 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2061 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2063 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2064 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2069 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2070 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2071 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2072 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2073 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2077 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2078 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2079 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2080 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2081 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2082 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2083 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2084 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2085 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2086 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2089 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2090 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2091 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2092 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2093 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2096 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2097 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2098 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2099 doing any processing of its contents
2100 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2101 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2102 manner will have no permanent effects.
2106 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2107 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
2108 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2109 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2110 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2111 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2112 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2113 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2116 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2117 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2118 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2119 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2120 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2121 Which article this is is controlled by the
2122 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2128 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2131 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2134 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2136 @item unseen-or-unread
2137 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2138 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2142 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2146 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2147 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2149 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2150 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2151 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2152 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2156 @node Subscription Commands
2157 @section Subscription Commands
2158 @cindex subscription
2166 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2167 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2168 Toggle subscription to the current group
2169 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2175 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2176 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2177 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2178 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2184 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2185 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2186 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2192 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2193 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2196 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2197 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2198 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2199 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2200 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2206 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2207 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2211 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2212 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2215 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2216 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2217 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2218 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2219 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2220 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2221 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2222 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2223 @file{.newsrc} file.
2227 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2237 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2238 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2239 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2240 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2241 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2242 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2247 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2248 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2249 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2253 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2254 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2255 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2257 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2258 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2259 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2260 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2261 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2262 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2269 @section Group Levels
2273 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2274 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2275 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2276 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2277 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2279 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2285 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2286 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2287 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2288 prompted for a level.
2291 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2292 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2293 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2294 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2295 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2296 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2297 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2298 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2299 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2300 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2301 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2302 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2303 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2304 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2305 reasons of efficiency.
2307 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2308 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2310 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2311 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2312 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2313 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2314 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2315 groups are hidden, in a way.
2317 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2318 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2319 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2320 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2321 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2322 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2324 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2325 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2326 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2327 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2328 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2329 list of killed groups.)
2331 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2332 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2333 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2335 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2336 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2337 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2338 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2339 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2340 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2341 relevant valid ranges.
2343 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2344 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2345 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2346 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2347 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2348 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2351 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2352 one with the best level.
2354 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2355 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2356 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2359 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2360 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2361 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2362 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2365 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2366 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2367 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2368 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2370 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2371 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2372 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2373 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2374 to 5. The default is 6.
2378 @section Group Score
2383 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2384 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2385 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2388 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2389 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2390 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2391 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2392 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2393 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2394 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2395 least significant part.))
2397 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2398 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2399 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2400 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2401 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2402 action after each summary exit, you can add
2403 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2404 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2405 slow things down somewhat.
2408 @node Marking Groups
2409 @section Marking Groups
2410 @cindex marking groups
2412 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2413 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2414 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2415 bidding on those groups.
2417 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2418 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2419 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2427 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2428 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2434 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2435 Remove the mark from the current group
2436 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2440 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2441 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2445 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2446 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2450 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2451 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2455 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2456 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2457 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2460 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2462 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2463 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2464 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2465 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2466 the command to be executed.
2469 @node Foreign Groups
2470 @section Foreign Groups
2471 @cindex foreign groups
2473 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2474 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2475 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2476 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2483 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2484 @cindex making groups
2485 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2486 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2487 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2491 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2492 @cindex renaming groups
2493 Rename the current group to something else
2494 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2495 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2501 @findex gnus-group-customize
2502 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2506 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2507 @cindex renaming groups
2508 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2509 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2513 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2514 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2515 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2519 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2520 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2521 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2525 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2527 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2528 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2533 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2534 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2538 @cindex (ding) archive
2539 @cindex archive group
2540 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2541 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2542 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2543 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2544 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2545 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2546 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2550 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2552 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2553 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2554 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2555 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2559 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2561 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2562 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2563 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2567 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2568 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2570 Make a group based on some file or other
2571 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2572 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2573 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2574 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2575 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2576 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2577 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2578 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2579 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2583 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2584 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2585 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2586 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2590 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2594 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2595 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2596 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2597 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2598 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2599 @xref{Web Searches}.
2601 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2602 to a particular group by using a match string like
2603 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2606 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2607 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2608 This function will delete the current group
2609 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2610 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2611 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2612 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2613 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2617 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2618 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2619 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2623 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2624 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2625 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2628 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2631 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2632 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2633 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2634 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2635 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2636 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2640 @node Group Parameters
2641 @section Group Parameters
2642 @cindex group parameters
2644 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2645 Here's an example group parameter list:
2648 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2652 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2653 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2654 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2655 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2657 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2658 is an alist of regexps and values.
2660 The following group parameters can be used:
2665 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2668 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2671 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2672 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2673 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2674 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2675 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2677 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2678 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2679 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2680 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2681 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2682 list address instead.
2684 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2688 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2691 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2694 It is totally ignored
2695 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2696 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2698 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2699 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2700 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2701 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2702 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2704 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2705 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2706 sending the message.
2708 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2709 @cindex Mail List Groups
2710 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2711 entering summary buffer.
2713 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2718 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2719 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2720 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2721 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2722 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2723 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2725 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2726 directly uses this group parameter.
2730 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2731 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2732 of whether it has any unread articles.
2734 @item broken-reply-to
2735 @cindex broken-reply-to
2736 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2737 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2738 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2739 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2740 broken behavior. So there!
2744 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2745 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2749 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2750 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2751 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2756 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2757 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2758 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2759 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2760 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2761 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2762 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2763 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2764 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
2768 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2769 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2770 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2772 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2775 @cindex total-expire
2776 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2777 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2778 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2779 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2782 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2786 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2787 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2788 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2789 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2790 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2791 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2792 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2795 @cindex score file group parameter
2796 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2797 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2798 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2801 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2802 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2803 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2804 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2807 @cindex admin-address
2808 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2809 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2810 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2811 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2815 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2816 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2820 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2823 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2824 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2827 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2831 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2833 Here are some examples:
2837 Display only unread articles.
2840 Display everything except expirable articles.
2842 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2843 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2847 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2848 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2849 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2850 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2851 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2855 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2856 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2857 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2861 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2862 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2863 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2867 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2868 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2869 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2871 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2873 @item ignored-charsets
2874 @cindex ignored-charset
2875 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2876 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2877 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2879 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2882 @cindex posting-style
2883 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2884 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2885 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2886 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2887 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2889 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2890 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2891 like this in the group parameters:
2896 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
2897 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2902 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2903 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2907 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2908 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2909 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2910 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2911 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2915 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2916 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2917 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2918 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2920 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2921 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2922 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2923 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2926 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2927 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2931 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2934 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2935 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2936 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2937 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2938 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2939 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2940 @code{eval}ed there.
2942 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2943 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2944 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2945 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2946 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2947 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2948 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2949 parameters for the group.
2952 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2953 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2954 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2955 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2956 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2960 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2961 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2962 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2963 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2964 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2966 @vindex gnus-parameters
2967 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2968 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2972 (setq gnus-parameters
2974 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2975 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2976 (gnus-summary-line-format
2977 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2981 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2985 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2989 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2992 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2993 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2996 @node Listing Groups
2997 @section Listing Groups
2998 @cindex group listing
3000 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3008 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3009 List all groups that have unread articles
3010 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3011 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3012 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3013 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3020 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3021 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3022 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3023 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3024 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3025 unsubscribed groups).
3029 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3030 List all unread groups on a specific level
3031 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3032 with no unread articles.
3036 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3037 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3038 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3039 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3044 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3045 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3049 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3050 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3051 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3055 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3056 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3060 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3061 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3062 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3063 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3064 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3065 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3066 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3067 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3071 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3072 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3073 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3077 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3078 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3079 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3083 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3084 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3088 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3089 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3093 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3094 List groups limited within the current selection
3095 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3099 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3100 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3104 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3105 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3109 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3110 @cindex visible group parameter
3111 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3112 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3113 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3114 get the same effect.
3116 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3117 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3118 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3119 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3120 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3123 @node Sorting Groups
3124 @section Sorting Groups
3125 @cindex sorting groups
3127 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3128 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3129 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3130 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3131 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3132 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3137 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3138 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3139 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3141 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3142 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3143 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3145 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3146 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3147 Sort by group level.
3149 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3150 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3151 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3153 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3154 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3155 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3156 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3158 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3159 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3160 Sort by number of unread articles.
3162 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3163 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3164 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3166 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3167 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3168 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3173 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3174 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3178 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3179 some sorting criteria:
3183 @kindex G S a (Group)
3184 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3185 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3186 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3189 @kindex G S u (Group)
3190 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3191 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3192 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3195 @kindex G S l (Group)
3196 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3197 Sort the group buffer by group level
3198 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3201 @kindex G S v (Group)
3202 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3203 Sort the group buffer by group score
3204 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3207 @kindex G S r (Group)
3208 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3209 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3210 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3213 @kindex G S m (Group)
3214 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3215 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3216 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3219 @kindex G S n (Group)
3220 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3221 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3222 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3226 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3227 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3229 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3230 commands will sort in reverse order.
3232 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3236 @kindex G P a (Group)
3237 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3238 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3239 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3242 @kindex G P u (Group)
3243 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3244 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3245 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3248 @kindex G P l (Group)
3249 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3250 Sort the groups by group level
3251 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3254 @kindex G P v (Group)
3255 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3256 Sort the groups by group score
3257 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3260 @kindex G P r (Group)
3261 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3262 Sort the groups by group rank
3263 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3266 @kindex G P m (Group)
3267 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3268 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3269 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3272 @kindex G P n (Group)
3273 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3274 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3275 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3278 @kindex G P s (Group)
3279 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3280 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3284 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3288 @node Group Maintenance
3289 @section Group Maintenance
3290 @cindex bogus groups
3295 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3296 Find bogus groups and delete them
3297 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3301 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3302 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3303 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3304 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3305 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3309 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3310 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3311 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3312 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3313 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3314 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3317 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3318 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3319 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3320 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3325 @node Browse Foreign Server
3326 @section Browse Foreign Server
3327 @cindex foreign servers
3328 @cindex browsing servers
3333 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3334 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3335 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3336 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3339 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3340 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3341 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3342 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3344 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3349 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3350 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3354 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3355 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3358 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3359 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3360 Enter the current group and display the first article
3361 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3364 @kindex RET (Browse)
3365 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3366 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3370 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3371 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3372 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3378 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3379 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3383 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3384 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3388 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3389 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3390 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3395 @section Exiting Gnus
3396 @cindex exiting Gnus
3398 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3403 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3404 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3405 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3406 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3410 @findex gnus-group-exit
3411 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3412 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3416 @findex gnus-group-quit
3417 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3418 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3421 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3422 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3423 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3424 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3425 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3426 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3431 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3432 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3433 trying to customize meta-variables.
3438 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3439 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3440 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3446 @section Group Topics
3449 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3450 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3451 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3452 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3453 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3454 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3458 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3459 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3470 2: alt.religion.emacs
3473 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3475 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3476 13: comp.sources.unix
3479 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3481 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3482 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3483 is a toggling command.)
3485 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3486 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3487 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3488 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3491 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3492 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3493 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3496 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3500 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3501 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3502 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3503 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3504 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3508 @node Topic Commands
3509 @subsection Topic Commands
3510 @cindex topic commands
3512 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3513 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3514 definitions slightly.
3516 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3517 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3518 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3519 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3520 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3521 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3523 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3530 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3531 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3532 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3536 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3538 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3539 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3540 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3541 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3544 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3545 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3546 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3547 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3551 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3552 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3553 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3554 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3560 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3561 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3562 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3566 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3567 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3568 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3571 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3572 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3573 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3574 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3575 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3577 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3578 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3582 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3583 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3590 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3592 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3593 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3594 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3595 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3596 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3597 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3601 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3607 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3608 Move the current group to some other topic
3609 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3610 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3614 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3615 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3619 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3620 Copy the current group to some other topic
3621 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3622 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3626 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3627 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3628 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3632 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3633 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3634 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3638 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3639 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3640 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3641 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3642 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3643 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3644 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3647 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3648 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3652 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3653 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3654 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3658 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3659 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3660 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3664 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3665 Toggle hiding empty topics
3666 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3670 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3671 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3672 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3673 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3676 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3677 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3678 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3679 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3680 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3683 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3684 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3685 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3686 expiry process (if any)
3687 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3691 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3692 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3695 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3696 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3697 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3701 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3702 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3703 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3706 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3707 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3708 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3711 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3712 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3713 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3717 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3718 @cindex group parameters
3719 @cindex topic parameters
3721 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3722 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3727 @node Topic Variables
3728 @subsection Topic Variables
3729 @cindex topic variables
3731 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3732 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3734 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3735 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3736 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3749 Number of groups in the topic.
3751 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3753 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3756 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3757 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3758 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3761 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3762 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3764 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3765 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3766 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3770 @subsection Topic Sorting
3771 @cindex topic sorting
3773 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3779 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3780 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3781 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3782 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3785 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3786 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3787 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3788 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3791 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3792 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3793 Sort the current topic by group level
3794 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3797 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3798 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3799 Sort the current topic by group score
3800 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3803 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3804 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3805 Sort the current topic by group rank
3806 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3809 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3810 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3811 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3812 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3815 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3816 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3817 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3818 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3822 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3823 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3824 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3825 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3829 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3830 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3834 @node Topic Topology
3835 @subsection Topic Topology
3836 @cindex topic topology
3839 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3845 2: alt.religion.emacs
3848 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3850 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3851 13: comp.sources.unix
3854 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3855 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3856 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3861 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3862 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3866 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3867 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3868 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3869 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3870 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3871 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3873 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3874 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3875 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3878 @node Topic Parameters
3879 @subsection Topic Parameters
3880 @cindex topic parameters
3882 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3883 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3884 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3886 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3891 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3892 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3893 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3896 @item subscribe-level
3897 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3898 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3899 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3903 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3904 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3905 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3906 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3912 2: alt.religion.emacs
3916 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3918 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3919 13: comp.sources.unix
3923 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3924 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3925 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3926 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3927 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3928 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3930 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3931 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3932 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3933 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3934 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3936 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3937 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3938 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3939 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3940 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3941 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3942 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3943 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3946 @node Misc Group Stuff
3947 @section Misc Group Stuff
3950 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3951 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3952 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3953 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3954 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3961 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3962 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3963 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3967 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3968 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3969 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3970 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3971 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3972 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3973 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3977 @findex gnus-group-mail
3978 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3979 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3980 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3981 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3985 @findex gnus-group-news
3986 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3987 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3988 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3990 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3991 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3992 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3993 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3994 for this to work though.
3998 Variables for the group buffer:
4002 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4003 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4004 is called after the group buffer has been
4007 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4008 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4009 is called after the group buffer is
4010 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4013 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4014 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4015 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4016 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4018 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4019 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4020 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4021 whether they are empty or not.
4023 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4024 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4025 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4026 non-ASCII group names.
4030 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4031 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4034 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4035 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4036 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4037 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4038 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4039 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
4044 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4045 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4050 @node Scanning New Messages
4051 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4052 @cindex new messages
4053 @cindex scanning new news
4059 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4060 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4061 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4062 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4063 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4064 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4069 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4070 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4071 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4072 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4073 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4074 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4075 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4077 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4078 @cindex activating groups
4080 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4081 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4086 @findex gnus-group-restart
4087 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4088 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4089 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4093 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4094 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4096 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4097 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4101 @node Group Information
4102 @subsection Group Information
4103 @cindex group information
4104 @cindex information on groups
4111 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4112 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4115 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4116 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4117 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4118 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4119 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4120 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4121 for fetching the file.
4123 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4124 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4128 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4129 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4131 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4132 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4135 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4136 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4137 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4141 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4142 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4143 @cindex control message
4144 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4145 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4146 group if given a prefix argument.
4148 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4149 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4150 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4151 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4153 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4154 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4155 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4159 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4161 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4162 @cindex describing groups
4163 @cindex group description
4164 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4165 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4166 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4170 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4171 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4172 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4179 @findex gnus-version
4180 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4184 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4185 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4188 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4191 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4192 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4196 @node Group Timestamp
4197 @subsection Group Timestamp
4199 @cindex group timestamps
4201 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4202 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4203 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4206 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4209 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4211 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4212 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4215 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4216 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4219 This will result in lines looking like:
4222 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4223 0: custom 19961002T012713
4226 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4227 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4231 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4232 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4235 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4236 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4240 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4241 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4242 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4243 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4245 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4251 @subsection File Commands
4252 @cindex file commands
4258 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4259 @vindex gnus-init-file
4260 @cindex reading init file
4261 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4262 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4266 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4267 @cindex saving .newsrc
4268 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4269 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4270 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4273 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4274 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4275 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4280 @node Sieve Commands
4281 @subsection Sieve Commands
4282 @cindex group sieve commands
4284 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4285 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4286 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4287 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4288 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4290 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4291 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4292 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4293 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4294 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4295 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4296 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4297 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4298 regenerate the Sieve script.
4300 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4301 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4302 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4303 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4304 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4305 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4306 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4307 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4308 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4309 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4312 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4313 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4318 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4324 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4325 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4326 @cindex generating sieve script
4327 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4328 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4332 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4333 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4334 @cindex updating sieve script
4335 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4336 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4337 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4342 @node Summary Buffer
4343 @chapter Summary Buffer
4344 @cindex summary buffer
4346 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4347 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4349 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4350 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4352 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4355 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4356 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4357 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4358 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4359 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4360 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4361 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4362 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4363 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4364 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4365 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4366 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4367 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4368 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4369 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4370 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4371 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4372 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4373 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4374 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4375 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4376 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4377 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4378 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4379 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4380 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4381 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4382 or reselecting the current group.
4383 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4384 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4385 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4386 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4390 @node Summary Buffer Format
4391 @section Summary Buffer Format
4392 @cindex summary buffer format
4396 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4397 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4398 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4404 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4405 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4406 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4407 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4410 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4411 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4412 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4413 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4414 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4415 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4416 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4417 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4418 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4419 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4420 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4423 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4424 'mail-extract-address-components)
4427 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4428 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4429 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4430 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4433 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4434 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4436 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4437 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4438 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4439 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4440 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4442 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4443 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4444 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4445 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4446 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4447 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4449 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4451 The following format specification characters and extended format
4452 specification(s) are understood:
4458 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4459 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4461 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4462 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4463 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4465 Full @code{From} header.
4467 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4469 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4472 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4473 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4474 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4475 may be more thorough.
4477 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4480 Number of lines in the article.
4482 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4483 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4485 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4486 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4488 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4490 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4491 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4504 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4505 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4506 replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
4509 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4510 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4511 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4512 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4514 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4515 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4516 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4517 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4519 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4520 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4521 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4523 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4524 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4525 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4527 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4528 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4529 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4531 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4532 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4533 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4538 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4539 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4541 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4542 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4544 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4545 for adopted articles.
4547 One space for each thread level.
4549 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4551 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4554 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4555 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4556 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4559 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4561 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4562 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4563 default level. If the difference between
4564 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4565 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4573 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4575 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4581 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4582 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4584 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4585 article has any children.
4591 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4592 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4594 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4595 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4596 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4597 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4598 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4599 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4602 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4603 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4604 There can only be one such area.
4606 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4607 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4608 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4609 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4610 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4611 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4613 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4614 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4616 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4619 @node To From Newsgroups
4620 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4624 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4625 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4626 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4627 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4628 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4632 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4633 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4634 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4638 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4639 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4642 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4643 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4646 @findex gnus-extra-header
4647 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4648 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4649 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4652 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4656 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4657 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4658 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4659 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4660 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4661 headers are used instead.
4665 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4666 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4667 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4668 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4669 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4670 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4672 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4673 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4674 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4675 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4677 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4681 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4683 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4684 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4685 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4686 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4690 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4693 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4694 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4697 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4698 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4699 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4705 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4706 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4709 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4710 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4712 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4713 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4714 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4715 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4717 Here are the elements you can play with:
4723 Unprefixed group name.
4725 Current article number.
4727 Current article score.
4731 Number of unread articles in this group.
4733 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4736 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4737 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4738 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4739 and no unselected ones.
4741 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4742 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4744 Subject of the current article.
4746 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4748 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4750 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4752 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4754 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4756 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4760 @node Summary Highlighting
4761 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4765 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4766 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4767 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4768 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4769 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4771 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4772 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4773 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4774 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4776 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4777 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4778 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4779 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4781 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4782 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4783 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4784 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4785 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4786 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4789 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4790 ((> score default) . bold))
4792 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4793 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4797 @node Summary Maneuvering
4798 @section Summary Maneuvering
4799 @cindex summary movement
4801 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4802 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4804 None of these commands select articles.
4809 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4810 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4811 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4812 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4813 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4817 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4818 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4819 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4820 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4821 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4824 @kindex G g (Summary)
4825 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4826 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4827 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4830 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4831 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4832 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4833 to the group buffer.
4835 Variables related to summary movement:
4839 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4840 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4841 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4842 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4843 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4844 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4845 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4846 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4847 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4848 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4849 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4850 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4851 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4852 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4854 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4855 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4856 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4857 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4858 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4859 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4860 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4862 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4864 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4865 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4866 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4867 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4868 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4870 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4871 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4872 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4873 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4874 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4875 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4876 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4877 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4880 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4881 the given number of lines from the top.
4886 @node Choosing Articles
4887 @section Choosing Articles
4888 @cindex selecting articles
4891 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4892 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4896 @node Choosing Commands
4897 @subsection Choosing Commands
4899 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4900 and they all select and display an article.
4902 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4903 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4907 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4908 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4909 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4910 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4912 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
4913 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
4914 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
4919 @kindex G n (Summary)
4920 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4921 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4922 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4927 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4928 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4929 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4934 @kindex G N (Summary)
4935 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4936 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4941 @kindex G P (Summary)
4942 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4943 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4946 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4947 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4948 Go to the next article with the same subject
4949 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4952 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4953 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4954 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4955 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4959 @kindex G f (Summary)
4961 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4962 Go to the first unread article
4963 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4967 @kindex G b (Summary)
4969 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4970 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4971 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4972 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4977 @kindex G l (Summary)
4978 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4979 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4982 @kindex G o (Summary)
4983 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4985 @cindex article history
4986 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4987 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4988 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4989 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4990 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4991 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4996 @kindex G j (Summary)
4997 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4998 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4999 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5004 @node Choosing Variables
5005 @subsection Choosing Variables
5007 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5010 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5011 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5012 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5013 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5014 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5015 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5017 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5018 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5019 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
5020 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
5021 like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
5022 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
5024 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5025 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5026 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5027 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5028 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5029 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5030 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5031 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5032 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
5033 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5034 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5035 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5036 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5037 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5042 @node Paging the Article
5043 @section Scrolling the Article
5044 @cindex article scrolling
5049 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5050 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5051 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5052 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5053 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5055 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5056 If the rest of the article consists only of citations and signature,
5057 then it will be skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You
5058 can customize what is considered uninteresting with
5059 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}, or set it to @code{nil} to disable
5060 this feature. You can manually view the article's pages, no matter how
5061 boring, using @kbd{C-v} in the article buffer.
5064 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5065 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5066 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5069 @kindex RET (Summary)
5070 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5071 Scroll the current article one line forward
5072 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5075 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5076 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5077 Scroll the current article one line backward
5078 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5082 @kindex A g (Summary)
5084 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5085 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5086 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5087 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5088 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5089 the way it came from the server.
5091 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5092 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5093 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5096 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5101 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5106 @kindex A < (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5108 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5109 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5114 @kindex A > (Summary)
5115 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5116 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5120 @kindex A s (Summary)
5122 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5123 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5124 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5128 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5129 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5134 @node Reply Followup and Post
5135 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5138 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5139 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5140 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5141 * Canceling and Superseding::
5145 @node Summary Mail Commands
5146 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5148 @cindex composing mail
5150 Commands for composing a mail message:
5156 @kindex S r (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5159 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5160 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5161 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5162 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5167 @kindex S R (Summary)
5168 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5169 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5170 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5171 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5172 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5175 @kindex S w (Summary)
5176 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5177 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5178 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5179 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5180 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5183 @kindex S W (Summary)
5184 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5185 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5186 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5187 the process/prefix convention.
5190 @kindex S v (Summary)
5191 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5192 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5193 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5194 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5195 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5196 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5199 @kindex S V (Summary)
5200 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5201 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5202 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5203 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5206 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5207 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5208 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5209 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5212 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5213 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5214 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5215 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5216 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5220 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5221 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5222 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5223 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5224 Forward the current article to some other person
5225 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5226 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5227 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5228 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5229 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5230 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5231 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5232 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5233 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime}
5239 @kindex S m (Summary)
5240 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5241 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5242 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5243 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5244 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5249 @kindex S i (Summary)
5250 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5251 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5252 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5253 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5255 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5256 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5257 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5258 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5259 for this to work though.
5262 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5263 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5264 @cindex bouncing mail
5265 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5266 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5267 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5268 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5269 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5270 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5271 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5272 very well fail, though.
5275 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5276 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5277 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5278 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5279 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5280 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5281 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5282 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5283 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5284 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5286 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5287 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5288 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5289 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5290 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5292 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5293 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5296 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5297 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5298 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5299 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5300 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5303 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5304 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5305 @cindex crossposting
5306 @cindex excessive crossposting
5307 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5308 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5310 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5311 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5312 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5313 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5314 command understands the process/prefix convention
5315 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5319 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5320 Manual}, for more information.
5323 @node Summary Post Commands
5324 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5326 @cindex composing news
5328 Commands for posting a news article:
5334 @kindex S p (Summary)
5335 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5336 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5337 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5338 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5339 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5344 @kindex S f (Summary)
5345 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5346 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5347 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5351 @kindex S F (Summary)
5353 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5354 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5355 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5356 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5357 process/prefix convention.
5360 @kindex S n (Summary)
5361 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5362 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5363 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5366 @kindex S N (Summary)
5367 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5368 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5369 message through mail and include the original message
5370 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5371 the process/prefix convention.
5374 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5375 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5376 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5377 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5378 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5379 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5380 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5381 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5382 as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5383 forward as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5384 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5385 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5386 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @sc{mime} section.
5389 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5390 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5392 @cindex making digests
5393 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5394 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
5395 process/prefix convention.
5398 @kindex S u (Summary)
5399 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5400 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5401 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5402 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5405 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5406 Manual}, for more information.
5409 @node Summary Message Commands
5410 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5414 @kindex S y (Summary)
5415 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5416 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5417 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5418 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5419 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5424 @node Canceling and Superseding
5425 @subsection Canceling Articles
5426 @cindex canceling articles
5427 @cindex superseding articles
5429 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5430 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5432 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5434 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5436 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5437 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5438 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5439 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5440 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5441 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5443 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5444 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5447 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5448 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5449 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5451 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5452 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5453 your original article.
5455 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5457 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5458 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5459 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5462 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5463 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5464 have posted almost the same article twice.
5466 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5467 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5468 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5469 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5470 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5471 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5472 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5473 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5474 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5475 canceled/superseded.
5477 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5479 @node Delayed Articles
5480 @section Delayed Articles
5481 @cindex delayed sending
5482 @cindex send delayed
5484 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5485 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5486 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5487 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5490 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5493 @findex gnus-delay-article
5494 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5495 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5496 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5497 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5501 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5502 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5503 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5504 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5507 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5508 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5509 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5512 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5513 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5514 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5515 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5516 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5517 that means a time tomorrow.
5520 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5521 couple of variables:
5524 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5525 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5526 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5527 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5529 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5530 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5531 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5532 formats described above.
5534 @item gnus-delay-group
5535 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5536 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5537 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5538 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5540 @item gnus-delay-header
5541 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5542 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5543 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5544 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5547 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5548 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5549 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5550 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5551 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5553 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5554 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5555 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5556 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5557 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5558 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5559 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5562 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5563 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5564 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5565 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5566 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5567 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5568 argument is ignored.
5570 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5571 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5572 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5576 @node Marking Articles
5577 @section Marking Articles
5578 @cindex article marking
5579 @cindex article ticking
5582 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5584 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5585 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5586 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5588 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5591 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5592 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5593 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5597 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5601 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5602 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5603 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5607 @node Unread Articles
5608 @subsection Unread Articles
5610 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5615 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5616 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5618 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5619 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5620 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5621 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5622 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5623 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5624 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5627 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5628 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5630 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5631 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5632 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5633 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5637 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5638 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5640 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5645 @subsection Read Articles
5646 @cindex expirable mark
5648 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5653 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5654 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5655 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5658 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5659 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5662 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5663 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5664 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5667 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5668 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5671 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5672 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5675 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5676 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5679 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5680 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5683 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5684 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5687 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5688 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5691 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5692 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5696 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5697 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5698 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5702 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5703 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5705 One more special mark, though:
5709 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5710 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5712 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5713 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5714 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5715 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
5721 @subsection Other Marks
5722 @cindex process mark
5725 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5731 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5732 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5733 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5734 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5735 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5738 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5739 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5740 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5741 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5744 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5745 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5746 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5749 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5750 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5751 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5754 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5755 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5756 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5757 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5760 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5761 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5762 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5763 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5764 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5765 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5768 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5769 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5770 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5771 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5774 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
5775 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
5776 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
5777 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
5778 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
5782 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5783 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
5784 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
5785 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
5786 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
5787 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
5790 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5791 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5792 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5793 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5794 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5795 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5799 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5800 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5801 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5802 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5803 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5806 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5807 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5808 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5809 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5810 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5811 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5815 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5816 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5817 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5819 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5820 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5821 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5825 @subsection Setting Marks
5826 @cindex setting marks
5828 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5833 @kindex M c (Summary)
5834 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5835 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5836 @cindex mark as unread
5837 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5838 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5844 @kindex M t (Summary)
5845 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5846 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5847 @xref{Article Caching}.
5852 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5853 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5854 Mark the current article as dormant
5855 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5859 @kindex M d (Summary)
5861 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5862 Mark the current article as read
5863 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5867 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5868 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5869 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5874 @kindex M k (Summary)
5875 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5876 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5877 and then select the next unread article
5878 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5882 @kindex M K (Summary)
5883 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5884 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5885 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5886 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5889 @kindex M C (Summary)
5890 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5891 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5892 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5895 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5896 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5897 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5898 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5901 @kindex M H (Summary)
5902 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5903 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5904 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5907 @kindex M h (Summary)
5908 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5909 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5910 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5913 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5914 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5915 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5916 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5919 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5920 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5921 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5922 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5926 @kindex M e (Summary)
5928 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5929 Mark the current article as expirable
5930 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5933 @kindex M b (Summary)
5934 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5935 Set a bookmark in the current article
5936 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5939 @kindex M B (Summary)
5940 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5941 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5942 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5945 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5946 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5947 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5948 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5951 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5952 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5953 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5954 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5957 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5958 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5959 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5960 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5961 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5964 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5965 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5966 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5967 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5968 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5969 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5970 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5971 The default is @code{t}.
5974 @node Generic Marking Commands
5975 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5977 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5978 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5979 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5980 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5981 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5984 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5985 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5988 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5989 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5990 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5991 to list in this manual.
5993 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5994 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5995 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5996 article, you could say something like:
5999 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6000 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6001 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6007 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6008 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6012 @node Setting Process Marks
6013 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6014 @cindex setting process marks
6016 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6017 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6018 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6019 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6020 commands into the cache. For more information,
6021 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6028 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6029 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6030 Mark the current article with the process mark
6031 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6032 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6036 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6037 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6038 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6039 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6042 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6043 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6044 Remove the process mark from all articles
6045 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6048 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6049 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6050 Invert the list of process marked articles
6051 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6054 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6055 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6056 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6057 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6060 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6061 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6062 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6063 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6066 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6067 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6068 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6072 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6073 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6076 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6077 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6078 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6079 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6082 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6083 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6084 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6085 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6088 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6089 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6090 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6091 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6094 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6095 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6096 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6099 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6100 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6101 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6102 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6105 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6106 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6107 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6110 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6111 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6112 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6113 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6116 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6118 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6119 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6122 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6123 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6124 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6125 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6128 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6129 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6130 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6131 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6135 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6136 set process marks based on article body contents.
6143 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6144 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6145 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6148 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6149 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6150 additional articles.
6156 @kindex / / (Summary)
6157 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6158 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6159 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6163 @kindex / a (Summary)
6164 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6165 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6166 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6170 @kindex / x (Summary)
6171 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6172 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6173 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6174 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6179 @kindex / u (Summary)
6181 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6182 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6183 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6184 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6185 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6188 @kindex / m (Summary)
6189 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6190 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6191 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6194 @kindex / t (Summary)
6195 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6196 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6197 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6198 articles younger than that number of days.
6201 @kindex / n (Summary)
6202 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6203 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6204 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6205 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6208 @kindex / w (Summary)
6209 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6210 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6211 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6215 @kindex / . (Summary)
6216 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6217 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6218 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6221 @kindex / v (Summary)
6222 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6223 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6224 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6227 @kindex / p (Summary)
6228 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6229 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6230 group parameter predicate
6231 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6232 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6236 @kindex M S (Summary)
6237 @kindex / E (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6239 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6243 @kindex / D (Summary)
6244 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6245 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6246 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6249 @kindex / * (Summary)
6250 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6251 Include all cached articles in the limit
6252 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6255 @kindex / d (Summary)
6256 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6257 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6258 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6261 @kindex / M (Summary)
6262 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6263 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6266 @kindex / T (Summary)
6267 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6268 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6271 @kindex / c (Summary)
6272 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6273 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6274 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6277 @kindex / C (Summary)
6278 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6279 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6280 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6281 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6284 @kindex / N (Summary)
6285 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6286 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6287 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6290 @kindex / o (Summary)
6291 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6292 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6293 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6301 @cindex article threading
6303 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6304 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6305 hierarchical fashion.
6307 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6308 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6309 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6310 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6311 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6312 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6313 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6315 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6319 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6322 A tree-like article structure.
6325 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6328 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6329 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6330 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6331 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6332 called loose threads.
6334 @item thread gathering
6335 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6337 @item sparse threads
6338 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6339 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6345 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6346 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6350 @node Customizing Threading
6351 @subsection Customizing Threading
6352 @cindex customizing threading
6355 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6356 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6357 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6358 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6363 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6366 @cindex loose threads
6369 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6370 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6371 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6372 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6373 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6374 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6376 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6377 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6378 There are four possible values:
6382 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6383 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6384 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6385 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6386 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6391 @cindex adopting articles
6396 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6397 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6398 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6399 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6402 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6403 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6404 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6405 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6406 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6407 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6408 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6409 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6410 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6411 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6414 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6415 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6416 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6420 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6421 display them after one another.
6424 Don't gather loose threads.
6427 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6428 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6429 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6430 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6431 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6432 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6433 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6434 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6435 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6436 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6437 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6439 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6440 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6441 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6444 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6445 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6446 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6447 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6448 simplification is used.
6450 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6451 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6452 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6453 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6455 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6457 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6463 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6464 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6465 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6466 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6471 (mapconcat 'identity
6472 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6474 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6477 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6480 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6481 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6482 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6483 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6484 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6485 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6487 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6490 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6491 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6492 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6494 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6495 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6498 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6499 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6500 Remove excessive whitespace.
6502 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6503 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6504 Remove all whitespace.
6507 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6510 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6511 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6512 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6513 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6514 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6515 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6516 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6517 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6519 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6520 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6521 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6522 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6523 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6524 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6525 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6526 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6527 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6531 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6532 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6533 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6534 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6536 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6537 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6538 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6541 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6545 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6546 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6552 @node Filling In Threads
6553 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6556 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6557 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6558 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6559 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6560 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6561 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6562 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6563 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6564 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6565 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6566 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6567 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6570 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6571 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6572 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6574 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6575 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6576 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6577 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6578 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6579 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6580 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
6581 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6582 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
6583 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
6584 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6585 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
6586 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6587 @code{nil} by default.
6589 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6590 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6591 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6592 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6593 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6594 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6595 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6597 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6598 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6599 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6604 @node More Threading
6605 @subsubsection More Threading
6608 @item gnus-show-threads
6609 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6610 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6611 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6612 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6613 slower and more awkward.
6615 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6616 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6617 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6620 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6621 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6622 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6627 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6628 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6629 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6632 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6633 unread, but you get my drift.)
6636 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6637 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6638 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6639 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6640 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6641 threads are expunged.
6643 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6644 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6645 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6648 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6649 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6650 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6651 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6652 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6653 result in a new thread.
6655 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6656 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6657 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6660 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6661 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6662 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6663 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6664 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6665 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6666 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6667 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6668 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6669 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6670 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6675 @node Low-Level Threading
6676 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6680 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6681 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6682 Hook run before parsing any headers.
6684 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6685 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6686 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6687 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6688 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6689 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6690 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6691 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6692 meaningful. Here's one example:
6695 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6697 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6698 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6700 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6702 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6709 @node Thread Commands
6710 @subsection Thread Commands
6711 @cindex thread commands
6717 @kindex T k (Summary)
6718 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6719 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6720 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6721 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6722 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6727 @kindex T l (Summary)
6728 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6729 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6730 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6731 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6734 @kindex T i (Summary)
6735 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6736 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6737 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6740 @kindex T # (Summary)
6741 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6742 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6743 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6746 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6747 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6748 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6749 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6752 @kindex T T (Summary)
6753 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6754 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6757 @kindex T s (Summary)
6758 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6759 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6760 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6763 @kindex T h (Summary)
6764 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6765 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6768 @kindex T S (Summary)
6769 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6770 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6773 @kindex T H (Summary)
6774 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6775 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6778 @kindex T t (Summary)
6779 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6780 Re-thread the current article's thread
6781 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6782 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6785 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6786 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6787 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6788 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6792 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6793 understand the numeric prefix.
6798 @kindex T n (Summary)
6800 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6802 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6803 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6804 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6807 @kindex T p (Summary)
6809 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6811 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6812 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6813 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6816 @kindex T d (Summary)
6817 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6818 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6821 @kindex T u (Summary)
6822 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6823 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6826 @kindex T o (Summary)
6827 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6828 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6831 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6832 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6833 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6834 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6835 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6836 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6837 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6838 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6839 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6840 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6841 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6842 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6846 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6847 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6849 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6850 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6851 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6852 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6853 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6854 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6855 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6856 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6857 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6858 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6859 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6860 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6861 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6863 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6864 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6865 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6866 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6867 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6868 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6869 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6870 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6872 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6873 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6874 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6876 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6877 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6878 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6879 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6880 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6881 ascending article order.
6883 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6884 by number, you could do something like:
6887 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6888 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6889 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6890 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6893 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6894 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6895 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6896 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6897 which the articles arrived.
6899 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6903 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6905 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6906 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6909 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6910 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6911 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6912 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6915 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6916 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6917 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6918 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6919 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6920 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6921 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6922 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6923 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6924 variable. It is very similar to the
6925 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6926 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6927 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6928 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6929 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6930 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6931 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6933 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6937 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6938 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6939 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6944 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6945 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6946 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6947 @cindex article pre-fetch
6950 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6951 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6952 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6953 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6954 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6956 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6957 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6959 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6960 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6961 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6962 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6963 connection is blocked.
6965 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6966 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6967 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6968 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6970 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6971 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6972 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6973 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6976 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6979 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6980 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6981 happen automatically.
6983 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6984 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6985 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6986 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6987 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6988 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6989 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6991 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6992 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6993 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6994 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6995 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6996 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6997 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6998 data structure as the only parameter.
7000 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7003 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7004 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7005 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7006 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7009 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7012 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7013 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7014 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7016 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7017 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7018 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7019 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7023 Remove articles when they are read.
7026 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7029 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7031 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7032 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7033 @c from the next group.
7036 @node Article Caching
7037 @section Article Caching
7038 @cindex article caching
7041 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
7042 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7043 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7044 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7045 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7047 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7049 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7050 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7051 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7052 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7053 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7054 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7055 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7056 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7058 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7059 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7060 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7061 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7062 as dormant, and don't worry.
7064 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7066 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7067 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7068 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7069 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7070 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7071 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7072 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7073 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7074 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7075 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7077 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7078 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7079 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7080 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7081 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7082 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
7083 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7084 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7085 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7086 not then be downloaded by this command.
7088 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7089 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7090 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7091 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7092 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7093 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7095 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7096 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7097 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7098 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7099 variables, the group is not cached.
7101 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7102 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7103 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7104 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7105 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7106 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7107 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7108 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
7109 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7112 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7113 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7114 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7115 where, isn't that cool?
7117 @node Persistent Articles
7118 @section Persistent Articles
7119 @cindex persistent articles
7121 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7122 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7123 useful in my opinion.
7125 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7126 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7127 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7128 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7129 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7130 the expiry going on at the news server.
7132 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7133 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7134 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7140 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7141 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7144 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7145 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7146 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7147 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7151 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7153 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7154 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7155 interested in persistent articles:
7158 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7162 @node Article Backlog
7163 @section Article Backlog
7165 @cindex article backlog
7167 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7168 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7169 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7170 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7171 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7172 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7173 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7174 increase memory usage some.
7176 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7177 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7178 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7179 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7180 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7181 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7182 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7184 The default value is 20.
7187 @node Saving Articles
7188 @section Saving Articles
7189 @cindex saving articles
7191 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7192 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7193 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7194 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7195 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7197 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7198 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7199 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7201 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7202 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7203 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7205 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7206 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7207 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7208 deleted before saving.
7214 @kindex O o (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7217 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7218 Save the current article using the default article saver
7219 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7222 @kindex O m (Summary)
7223 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7224 Save the current article in mail format
7225 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7228 @kindex O r (Summary)
7229 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7230 Save the current article in rmail format
7231 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7234 @kindex O f (Summary)
7235 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7236 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7237 Save the current article in plain file format
7238 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7241 @kindex O F (Summary)
7242 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7243 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7244 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7247 @kindex O b (Summary)
7248 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7249 Save the current article body in plain file format
7250 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7253 @kindex O h (Summary)
7254 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7255 Save the current article in mh folder format
7256 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7259 @kindex O v (Summary)
7260 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7261 Save the current article in a VM folder
7262 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7266 @kindex O p (Summary)
7268 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7269 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7270 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7271 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7272 complete headers in the piped output.
7275 @kindex O P (Summary)
7276 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7277 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7278 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7279 external program Muttprint (see
7280 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7281 options to use is controlled by the variable
7282 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7286 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7287 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7288 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7289 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7290 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7291 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7292 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7293 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7294 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7295 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7296 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7297 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7301 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7302 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7303 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7304 functions below, or you can create your own.
7308 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7309 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7310 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7311 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7312 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7313 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7314 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7316 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7317 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7318 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7319 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7320 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7321 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7323 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7324 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7325 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7326 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7327 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7328 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7329 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7331 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7332 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7333 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7334 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7335 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7336 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7338 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7339 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7340 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7341 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7342 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7344 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7345 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7346 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7347 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7348 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7351 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7352 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7353 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7354 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7355 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7357 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7358 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7359 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7360 reader to use this setting.
7363 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7364 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7365 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7366 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7369 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7370 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7371 available functions that generate names:
7375 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7376 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7377 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7379 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7380 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7381 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7383 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7384 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7385 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7387 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7388 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7389 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7391 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7392 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7393 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7396 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7397 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7398 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7399 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7400 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7404 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7405 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7406 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7407 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7410 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7411 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7412 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7413 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7414 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7415 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7416 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7417 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7418 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7420 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7421 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7422 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7423 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7425 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7426 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7427 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7430 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7431 lots of mail groups called things like
7432 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7433 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7434 following will do just that:
7437 (defun my-save-name (group)
7438 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7439 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7441 (setq gnus-split-methods
7442 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7447 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7448 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7449 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7450 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7451 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7452 all the files in the top level directory
7453 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7454 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7455 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7456 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7458 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7459 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7460 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7461 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7462 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7465 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7469 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7470 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7471 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7474 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7475 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7476 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7477 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7480 @node Decoding Articles
7481 @section Decoding Articles
7482 @cindex decoding articles
7484 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7485 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7488 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7489 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7490 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7491 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7492 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7493 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7497 @cindex article series
7498 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7499 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7500 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7501 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7502 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7504 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7505 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7506 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7508 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
7509 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7510 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7512 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7513 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7514 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7517 @node Uuencoded Articles
7518 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7520 @cindex uuencoded articles
7525 @kindex X u (Summary)
7526 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7527 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7528 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7531 @kindex X U (Summary)
7532 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7533 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7534 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7537 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7538 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7539 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7542 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7543 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7544 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7545 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7549 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7550 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7551 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7552 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7553 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7555 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7556 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7557 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7558 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7561 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7562 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7563 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7564 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7565 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7566 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7570 @node Shell Archives
7571 @subsection Shell Archives
7573 @cindex shell archives
7574 @cindex shared articles
7576 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7577 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7578 some commands to deal with these:
7583 @kindex X s (Summary)
7584 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7585 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7588 @kindex X S (Summary)
7589 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7590 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7593 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7595 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7598 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7599 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7600 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7601 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7605 @node PostScript Files
7606 @subsection PostScript Files
7612 @kindex X p (Summary)
7613 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7614 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7617 @kindex X P (Summary)
7618 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7619 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7620 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7623 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7624 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7625 View the current PostScript series
7626 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7629 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7630 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7631 View and save the current PostScript series
7632 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7637 @subsection Other Files
7641 @kindex X o (Summary)
7642 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7643 Save the current series
7644 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7647 @kindex X b (Summary)
7648 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7649 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7650 doesn't really work yet.
7654 @node Decoding Variables
7655 @subsection Decoding Variables
7657 Adjective, not verb.
7660 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7661 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7662 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7666 @node Rule Variables
7667 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7668 @cindex rule variables
7670 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7671 variables are of the form
7674 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7681 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7682 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7684 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7685 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7688 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7689 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7692 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7693 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7694 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7695 user and default view rules.
7697 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7698 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7699 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7704 @node Other Decode Variables
7705 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7708 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7710 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7711 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7712 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7713 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7714 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7718 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7719 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7722 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7723 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7724 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7727 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7728 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7729 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7730 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7731 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7734 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7735 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7736 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7738 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7739 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7740 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7741 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7742 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7745 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7746 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7747 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7749 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7750 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7751 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7752 looking for files to display.
7754 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7755 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7756 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7759 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7760 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7761 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7764 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7765 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7766 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7769 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7770 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7771 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7774 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7775 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7776 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7777 decoded articles as unread.
7779 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7780 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7781 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7782 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7784 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7785 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7786 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7788 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7789 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7791 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7792 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7793 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7794 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7796 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7797 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7798 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7799 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7800 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7801 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7802 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7803 simply dropped them.
7808 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7809 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7813 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7814 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7815 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7816 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7817 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7818 for you when you post the article.
7820 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7821 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7822 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7823 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7825 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7826 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7827 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7828 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7829 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7830 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7831 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7833 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7834 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7835 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7836 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7837 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7838 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7839 Default is @code{t}.
7845 @subsection Viewing Files
7846 @cindex viewing files
7847 @cindex pseudo-articles
7849 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
7850 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7851 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7852 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
7853 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7854 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7855 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7857 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7858 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7859 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7860 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7862 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7863 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7864 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7866 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7867 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7868 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7869 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7870 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7872 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7873 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7874 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7875 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7876 a list of parameters to that command.
7878 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7879 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7880 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7882 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7883 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7884 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7887 @node Article Treatment
7888 @section Article Treatment
7890 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7891 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7892 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7893 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7894 these articles easier.
7897 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7898 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7899 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7900 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7901 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7902 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7903 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7904 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7905 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7906 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7910 @node Article Highlighting
7911 @subsection Article Highlighting
7912 @cindex highlighting
7914 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7915 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7920 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7921 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7922 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7923 Do much highlighting of the current article
7924 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7925 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7928 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7929 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7930 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7931 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7932 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7933 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7934 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7935 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7936 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7937 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7938 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7939 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7942 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7943 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7944 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7946 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7949 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7951 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7952 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7953 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7955 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7956 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7957 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7959 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7960 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7961 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7962 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7963 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7964 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7966 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7967 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7968 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7970 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7971 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7972 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7974 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7975 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7976 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7977 that it's a citation.
7979 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7980 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7981 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7983 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7984 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7985 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7987 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7988 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7989 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7990 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7996 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7997 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7998 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7999 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8000 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8001 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8002 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8003 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8008 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8011 @node Article Fontisizing
8012 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8014 @cindex article emphasis
8016 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8017 @kindex W e (Summary)
8018 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8019 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8020 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8021 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8023 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8024 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8025 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8026 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8027 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8028 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8029 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8030 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8034 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8035 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8036 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8045 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8046 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8047 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8048 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8049 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8050 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8051 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8052 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8053 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8054 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8055 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8056 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8057 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8059 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8060 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8061 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8065 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8068 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8070 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8071 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8072 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8073 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8075 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8078 @node Article Hiding
8079 @subsection Article Hiding
8080 @cindex article hiding
8082 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8083 too much cruft in most articles.
8088 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8089 @findex gnus-article-hide
8090 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8091 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8092 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
8095 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8096 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8097 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8101 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8102 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8103 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8104 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8107 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8108 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8109 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8113 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8114 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8115 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8116 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8117 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8118 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8119 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8120 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8124 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8125 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8126 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8127 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8132 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8133 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8134 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8135 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8138 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8139 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8140 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8141 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8144 @cindex stripping advertisements
8145 @cindex advertisements
8146 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8147 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8148 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8149 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8150 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8151 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8152 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8153 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8154 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8155 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8158 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8159 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8160 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8164 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8165 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8166 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8167 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8168 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8169 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8170 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8171 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8172 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8173 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8174 following element to remove them:
8177 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8183 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8184 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8185 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8186 customizing the hiding:
8190 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8191 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8192 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8193 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8194 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8195 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8196 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8201 Starting point of the hidden text.
8203 Ending point of the hidden text.
8205 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8207 Number of lines of hidden text.
8210 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8211 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8212 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8213 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8214 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8219 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8220 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8222 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8223 following two variables:
8226 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8227 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8228 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8229 50), hide the cited text.
8231 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8232 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8233 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8238 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8239 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8240 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8241 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8242 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8243 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8247 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8248 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8249 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8251 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8252 citation customization.
8254 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8258 @node Article Washing
8259 @subsection Article Washing
8261 @cindex article washing
8263 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8264 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8266 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8267 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8270 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8271 articles by default.
8276 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8277 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8281 Force redisplaying of the current article
8282 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8283 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8284 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8285 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8288 @kindex W l (Summary)
8289 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8290 Remove page breaks from the current article
8291 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8295 @kindex W r (Summary)
8296 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8297 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8298 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8299 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8300 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8301 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8303 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8304 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8305 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8306 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8309 @kindex W m (Summary)
8310 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8311 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8315 @kindex W t (Summary)
8317 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8318 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8319 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8322 @kindex W v (Summary)
8323 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8324 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8325 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8328 @kindex W o (Summary)
8329 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8330 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8333 @kindex W d (Summary)
8334 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8335 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8337 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8339 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8340 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8341 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8342 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8345 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8346 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8347 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8348 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8351 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8352 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8353 @cindex Outlook Express
8354 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8355 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8356 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8359 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8360 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8361 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8362 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8363 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8364 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8365 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8366 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
8367 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8368 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8371 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8372 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8373 Repair a broken attribution line.
8374 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8377 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8378 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8379 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8380 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8383 @kindex W w (Summary)
8384 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8385 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8387 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8391 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8392 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8393 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8396 @kindex W C (Summary)
8397 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8398 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8399 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8402 @kindex W c (Summary)
8403 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8404 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8405 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8406 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8407 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8410 @kindex W q (Summary)
8411 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8412 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8413 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
8414 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
8415 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
8416 readable to me. Note that this is usually done automatically by
8417 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
8418 header that says that this encoding has been done.
8419 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8422 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8423 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8424 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8425 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8426 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8427 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8428 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8430 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8433 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8434 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8435 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8436 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8437 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8440 @kindex W u (Summary)
8441 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8442 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8443 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8444 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8445 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8448 @kindex W h (Summary)
8449 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8450 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8451 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8452 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8454 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8456 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8457 The default is to use the function specified by
8458 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{(emacs-mime)Display
8459 Customization}) to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by
8460 the @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions
8461 you can use include:
8468 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8472 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8475 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8478 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8483 @kindex W b (Summary)
8484 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8485 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8486 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8489 @kindex W B (Summary)
8490 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8491 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8492 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8495 @kindex W p (Summary)
8496 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8497 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8498 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8499 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8500 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8501 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8502 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8505 @kindex W s (Summary)
8506 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8507 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8508 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8511 @kindex W a (Summary)
8512 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8513 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8514 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8517 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8518 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8519 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8520 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8523 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8524 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8525 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8526 lines with a single empty line.
8527 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8530 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8531 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8532 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8533 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8536 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8537 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8538 Do all the three commands above
8539 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8542 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8543 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8544 Remove all blank lines
8545 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8548 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8549 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8550 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8551 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8554 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8555 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8556 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8557 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8561 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8564 @node Article Header
8565 @subsection Article Header
8567 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8572 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8573 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8574 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8577 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8578 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8579 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8580 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8583 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8584 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8585 Fold all the message headers
8586 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8590 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8591 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8592 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8597 @node Article Buttons
8598 @subsection Article Buttons
8601 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8602 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8603 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8604 button on these references.
8606 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8607 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8608 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8609 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8610 one that handles article heads:
8614 @item gnus-button-alist
8615 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8616 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8619 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8625 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
8626 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
8627 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
8628 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
8629 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8632 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8633 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8634 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8637 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8638 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8639 avoid false matches.
8642 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8645 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8646 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8650 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8653 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8656 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8657 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8658 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8659 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8660 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8663 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8666 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8668 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8669 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8670 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8671 default values of the variables above.
8673 @item gnus-article-button-face
8674 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8675 Face used on buttons.
8677 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8678 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8679 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8683 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8687 @subsection Article Date
8689 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8690 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8691 when the article was sent.
8696 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8697 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8698 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8699 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8702 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8703 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8705 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8706 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8709 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8710 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8711 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8714 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8715 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8716 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8717 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8720 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8721 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8722 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8723 @findex format-time-string
8724 Display the date using a user-defined format
8725 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8726 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8727 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8728 for a list of possible format specs.
8731 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8732 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8733 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8734 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8735 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8736 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8739 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8742 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
8743 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8744 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8747 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8748 into wonderful absurdities.
8750 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8753 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8756 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8757 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8761 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8762 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8763 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8764 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8765 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8766 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8767 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8771 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8772 preferred format automatically.
8775 @node Article Display
8776 @subsection Article Display
8781 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
8782 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8784 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8785 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8787 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8788 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8790 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8791 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8793 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8798 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8799 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8800 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8801 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8804 @kindex W D d (Summary)
8805 @findex gnus-article-display-face
8806 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
8807 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
8810 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8811 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8812 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8815 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8816 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8817 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8820 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8821 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8822 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8823 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8826 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8827 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8828 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8829 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8832 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8833 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8834 Remove all images from the article buffer
8835 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8841 @node Article Signature
8842 @subsection Article Signature
8844 @cindex article signature
8846 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8847 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8848 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8849 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8850 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8851 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8852 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8853 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8854 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8857 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8858 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8859 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8860 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8861 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8862 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8863 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8864 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8867 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8870 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8871 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8872 signature when displaying articles.
8876 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8879 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8882 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8883 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8885 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8886 in question is not a signature.
8889 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8890 listed above. Here's an example:
8893 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8894 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8897 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8898 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8899 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8900 signature after all.
8903 @node Article Miscellania
8904 @subsection Article Miscellania
8908 @kindex A t (Summary)
8909 @findex gnus-article-babel
8910 Translate the article from one language to another
8911 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8917 @section MIME Commands
8918 @cindex MIME decoding
8920 @cindex viewing attachments
8922 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8923 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8929 @kindex K v (Summary)
8930 View the @sc{mime} part.
8933 @kindex K o (Summary)
8934 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8937 @kindex K c (Summary)
8938 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8941 @kindex K e (Summary)
8942 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8945 @kindex K i (Summary)
8946 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8949 @kindex K | (Summary)
8950 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8953 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8958 @kindex K b (Summary)
8959 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8960 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8964 @kindex K m (Summary)
8965 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8966 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8967 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8968 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8969 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8972 @kindex X m (Summary)
8973 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8974 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8975 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8976 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8979 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8980 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8981 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8982 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8985 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8986 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8987 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8988 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8991 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8992 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8993 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8994 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8996 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8997 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8998 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8999 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9000 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9001 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9004 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9005 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9006 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
9007 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9014 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9015 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9016 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9017 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9020 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9023 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9027 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9028 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9029 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9030 before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
9031 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9032 default is @code{nil}.
9034 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9035 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9036 There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
9037 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9038 This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9039 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9040 Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
9042 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9043 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9044 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9045 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9046 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9047 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9048 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9049 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
9051 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9052 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9053 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
9054 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9055 displayed. This variable overrides
9056 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9057 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9060 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9061 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9062 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9064 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9065 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9066 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
9067 value is @code{nil}.
9069 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9070 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9071 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
9072 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9073 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9074 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9075 save all jpegs into some directory).
9077 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9080 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9081 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9083 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9084 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9085 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9086 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9087 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9090 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9091 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9092 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9094 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9095 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9096 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
9097 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9099 Ready-made functions include@*
9100 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9101 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9102 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9103 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9104 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9105 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9106 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9107 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9108 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9109 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9110 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9111 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9113 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9114 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9116 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9117 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9118 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9121 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9122 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9123 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9124 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9128 to your @file{.gnus.el} file.
9137 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
9138 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9139 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
9140 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9141 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9142 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9143 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
9145 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9146 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9147 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9148 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9150 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9151 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
9152 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9153 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9154 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9155 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9156 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9157 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9158 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9160 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9161 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9162 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9163 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9164 quoted-printable header encoding.
9166 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9167 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9168 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9172 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9175 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9176 means encode all charsets),
9178 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9179 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9180 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9187 @cindex coding system aliases
9188 @cindex preferred charset
9190 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9192 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9193 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9196 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9197 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9200 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9201 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9203 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9206 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9209 This will almost do the right thing.
9211 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9215 (codepage-setup 1251)
9216 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9220 @node Article Commands
9221 @section Article Commands
9228 @kindex A P (Summary)
9229 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9230 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9231 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9232 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9233 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9234 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9239 @node Summary Sorting
9240 @section Summary Sorting
9241 @cindex summary sorting
9243 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9244 can't really see why you'd want that.
9249 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9250 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9251 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9254 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9255 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9256 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9259 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9260 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9261 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9264 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9265 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9266 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9269 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9270 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9271 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9274 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9275 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9276 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9279 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9280 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9281 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9284 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9285 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9286 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9289 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9290 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9291 Sort using the default sorting method
9292 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9295 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9296 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9297 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9298 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9299 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9303 @node Finding the Parent
9304 @section Finding the Parent
9305 @cindex parent articles
9306 @cindex referring articles
9311 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9312 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9313 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9314 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9315 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9316 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9317 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9318 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9319 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9321 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9322 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9323 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
9324 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9325 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9329 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9330 @kindex A R (Summary)
9331 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9332 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9335 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9336 @kindex A T (Summary)
9337 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9338 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9339 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9340 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9341 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9342 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9343 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9345 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9346 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9347 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9348 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9349 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9350 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9353 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9354 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9356 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9357 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9358 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9359 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9360 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9361 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9362 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9365 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9366 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9367 by giving this command a prefix.
9369 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9370 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9371 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9372 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9373 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9374 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9377 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9378 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9379 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9382 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9383 then ask Google if that fails:
9386 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9388 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
9391 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9392 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9393 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9394 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9395 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9396 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9397 support this at all.
9400 @node Alternative Approaches
9401 @section Alternative Approaches
9403 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9404 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9407 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9408 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9413 @subsection Pick and Read
9414 @cindex pick and read
9416 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9417 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9418 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9419 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9421 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9422 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9423 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9424 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9425 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9426 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9428 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9433 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9434 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9435 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9436 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9437 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9438 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9439 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9440 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9443 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9444 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9445 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9446 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9450 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9451 Unpick the thread or article
9452 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9453 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9454 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9455 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9456 the thread or article at that line.
9460 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9461 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9462 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9463 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9464 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9465 will still be visible when you are reading.
9469 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9470 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9471 which is mapped to the same function
9472 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9474 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9477 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9480 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9481 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9483 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9484 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9485 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9487 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9488 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9489 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9490 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9491 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9492 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9493 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9497 @subsection Binary Groups
9498 @cindex binary groups
9500 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9501 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9502 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9503 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9504 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9505 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9506 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9509 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9510 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9511 command, when you have turned on this mode
9512 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9514 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9515 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9519 @section Tree Display
9522 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9523 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
9524 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9525 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9528 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9531 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9532 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9533 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9535 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9536 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9537 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9538 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9539 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9541 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9542 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9543 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9544 default is @code{modeline}.
9546 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9547 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9548 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9549 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9550 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9551 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9552 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9558 The name of the poster.
9560 The @code{From} header.
9562 The number of the article.
9564 The opening bracket.
9566 The closing bracket.
9571 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9573 Variables related to the display are:
9576 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9577 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9578 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9579 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9580 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9581 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9583 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9584 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9585 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9586 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9590 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9591 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9592 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
9593 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
9594 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9595 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9596 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9597 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9598 other windows displayed next to it.
9600 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9604 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9605 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9608 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9609 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9610 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9611 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9612 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9613 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9614 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9618 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9621 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9631 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9635 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9636 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9638 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9640 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9645 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9646 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9647 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9650 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9651 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9652 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9653 (gnus-add-configuration
9657 (summary 0.75 point)
9662 @xref{Window Layout}.
9665 @node Mail Group Commands
9666 @section Mail Group Commands
9667 @cindex mail group commands
9669 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9670 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9672 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9673 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9678 @kindex B e (Summary)
9679 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9680 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9681 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9682 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9683 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9686 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9687 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9688 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9689 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9690 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9691 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9694 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9695 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9696 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9697 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9698 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9699 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9702 @kindex B m (Summary)
9704 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9705 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9706 Move the article from one mail group to another
9707 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9708 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9711 @kindex B c (Summary)
9713 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9714 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9715 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9716 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9717 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9720 @kindex B B (Summary)
9721 @cindex crosspost mail
9722 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9723 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9724 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9725 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9726 be properly updated.
9729 @kindex B i (Summary)
9730 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9731 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9732 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9733 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9736 @kindex B I (Summary)
9737 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9738 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9739 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9740 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9743 @kindex B r (Summary)
9744 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9745 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
9746 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9747 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9748 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9749 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9750 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9751 (which is the default).
9755 @kindex B w (Summary)
9757 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9758 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9759 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9760 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9761 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9762 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9763 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9766 @kindex B q (Summary)
9767 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9768 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9769 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9770 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9773 @kindex B t (Summary)
9774 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9775 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9776 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9779 @kindex B p (Summary)
9780 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9781 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9782 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9783 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9784 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9785 article from your news server (or rather, from
9786 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9787 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9788 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9789 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9790 just not have arrived yet.
9793 @kindex K E (Summary)
9794 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9795 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9796 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9797 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9798 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9802 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9803 @cindex moving articles
9804 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
9805 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9806 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9807 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9808 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9809 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9810 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9813 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9814 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9815 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9816 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9820 @node Various Summary Stuff
9821 @section Various Summary Stuff
9824 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9825 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9826 * Summary Generation Commands::
9827 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9831 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
9832 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
9833 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
9834 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
9835 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
9836 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
9838 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9839 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9840 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9842 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9843 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9844 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9845 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9846 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9847 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9850 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9851 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9852 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9853 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9854 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9856 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9857 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9858 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9861 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9862 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9863 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9864 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9865 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9866 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9867 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
9868 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9869 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9870 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9872 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9873 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9874 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9875 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9876 list of articles to be selected.
9878 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9879 the list in one particular group:
9882 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9883 (if (string= group "some.group")
9884 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9888 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9889 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9890 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9891 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9892 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9893 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9894 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9895 buffers. For example:
9898 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9899 '(message-use-followup-to
9900 (gnus-visible-headers .
9901 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9907 @node Summary Group Information
9908 @subsection Summary Group Information
9913 @kindex H f (Summary)
9914 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9915 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9916 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9917 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9918 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9919 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9920 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9921 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9922 be used for fetching the file.
9925 @kindex H d (Summary)
9926 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9927 Give a brief description of the current group
9928 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9929 rereading the description from the server.
9932 @kindex H h (Summary)
9933 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9934 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9935 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9938 @kindex H i (Summary)
9939 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9940 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9944 @node Searching for Articles
9945 @subsection Searching for Articles
9950 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9951 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9952 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9953 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9956 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9957 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9958 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9959 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9963 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9964 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9965 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9966 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9967 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9968 search backward instead.
9970 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9971 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9974 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9975 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9976 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9977 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9980 @node Summary Generation Commands
9981 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9986 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9987 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9988 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9991 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9992 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9993 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9994 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9997 @kindex Y d (Summary)
9998 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
9999 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10000 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10005 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10006 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10012 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10013 @kindex A D (Summary)
10014 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10015 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10016 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10017 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10018 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10019 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10020 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10021 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10025 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10026 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10027 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10028 several documents into one biiig group
10029 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10030 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10031 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10032 command understands the process/prefix convention
10033 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10036 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10037 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10038 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10039 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10040 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10041 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10044 @kindex = (Summary)
10045 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10046 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10047 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10050 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10051 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10052 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10053 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10056 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10057 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10058 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10059 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10064 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10065 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10066 @cindex summary exit
10067 @cindex exiting groups
10069 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10070 group and return you to the group buffer.
10076 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10077 @kindex q (Summary)
10078 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10079 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10080 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10081 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10082 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10083 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10084 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10085 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10086 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10087 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10088 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10089 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10093 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10094 @kindex Q (Summary)
10095 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10096 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10097 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10101 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10102 @kindex c (Summary)
10103 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10104 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10105 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10106 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10109 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10110 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10111 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10112 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10115 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10116 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10117 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10118 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10121 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10122 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10123 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10124 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10125 all articles, both read and unread.
10129 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10130 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10131 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10132 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10133 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10134 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10135 articles, both read and unread.
10138 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10139 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10140 Exit the group and go to the next group
10141 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10144 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10145 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10146 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10147 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10150 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10151 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10152 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10153 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10154 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10155 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10158 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10159 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10160 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10161 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10163 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10164 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10165 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10166 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10167 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10168 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10169 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10170 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10171 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10172 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10173 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10174 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10176 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10178 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10179 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10180 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10181 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10182 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10183 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10184 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10185 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10186 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10189 @node Crosspost Handling
10190 @section Crosspost Handling
10194 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10195 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10196 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10197 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10198 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10199 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10202 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10203 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10204 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10205 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10206 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10208 @cindex cross-posting
10211 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10212 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10213 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10214 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10215 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10216 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10217 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10218 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10219 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10220 the cross reference mechanism.
10222 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10223 @cindex overview.fmt
10224 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10225 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10226 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10227 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10228 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10229 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10232 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10233 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10234 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10239 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10242 @node Duplicate Suppression
10243 @section Duplicate Suppression
10245 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10246 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10247 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10248 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10253 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10254 is evil and not very common.
10257 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10258 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10261 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10262 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10265 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10268 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10269 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10271 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10272 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10273 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10274 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10275 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10276 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10277 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10280 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10281 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10282 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10283 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10284 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10285 saw the article in.
10288 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10289 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10290 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10292 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10293 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10294 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10295 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10296 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
10297 session are suppressed.
10299 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10300 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10301 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10302 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10304 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10305 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10306 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10307 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10310 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
10311 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10312 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10313 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10314 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
10315 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10316 to you to figure out, I think.
10321 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10322 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10323 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10327 To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
10328 implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
10329 with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
10330 Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
10333 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10334 or newer is recommended.
10338 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10339 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10342 @item mm-verify-option
10343 @vindex mm-verify-option
10344 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10345 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10346 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10348 @item mm-decrypt-option
10349 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10350 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10351 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10352 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10355 @vindex mml1991-use
10356 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
10357 messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
10358 @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10361 @vindex mml2015-use
10362 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
10363 PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
10364 and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
10369 @section Mailing List
10371 @kindex A M (summary)
10372 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10373 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10374 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10375 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10378 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10383 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10384 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10385 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10388 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10389 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10390 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10393 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10394 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10395 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10399 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10400 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10401 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10404 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10405 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10406 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10409 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10410 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10411 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10415 @node Article Buffer
10416 @chapter Article Buffer
10417 @cindex article buffer
10419 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10420 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10421 tell Gnus otherwise.
10424 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10425 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10426 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10427 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10428 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10432 @node Hiding Headers
10433 @section Hiding Headers
10434 @cindex hiding headers
10435 @cindex deleting headers
10437 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10438 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10440 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10441 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10442 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10443 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10444 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10445 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10446 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10447 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10448 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10450 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10454 @item gnus-visible-headers
10455 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10456 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10457 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10458 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10460 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10461 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10464 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10467 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10470 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10471 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10472 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10473 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10474 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10475 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10477 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
10478 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
10481 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10484 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10487 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10488 variable will have no effect.
10492 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10493 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10494 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10495 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10496 the headers are to be displayed.
10498 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10499 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10502 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10505 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10506 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10508 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10509 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10510 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10511 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10512 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10513 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10514 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10517 These conditions are:
10520 Remove all empty headers.
10522 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10523 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10525 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10526 @code{From} header.
10528 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10531 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10532 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10534 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10537 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10539 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10542 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10545 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10546 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10549 This is also the default value for this variable.
10553 @section Using MIME
10556 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10557 while people stand around yawning.
10559 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10560 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10562 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10563 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10564 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10566 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
10567 @findex gnus-display-mime
10568 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
10569 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
10570 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
10571 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
10573 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
10577 @findex gnus-article-press-button
10578 @item RET (Article)
10579 @kindex RET (Article)
10580 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
10581 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
10582 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If builtin viewers can not display
10583 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
10584 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
10585 object is displayed inline.
10587 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
10588 @item M-RET (Article)
10589 @kindex M-RET (Article)
10591 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10592 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
10594 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
10596 @kindex t (Article)
10597 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
10598 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
10600 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
10602 @kindex C (Article)
10603 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
10604 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
10606 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
10608 @kindex o (Article)
10609 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
10610 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
10612 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
10613 @item C-o (Article)
10614 @kindex C-o (Article)
10615 Prompt for a file name, then save the @sc{mime} object and strip it from
10616 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
10617 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
10618 like. The stripped @sc{mime} object will be referred via the
10619 message/external-body @sc{mime} type.
10620 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
10622 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
10624 @kindex c (Article)
10625 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
10626 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
10627 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
10628 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
10629 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
10631 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
10633 @kindex p (Article)
10634 Print the @sc{mime} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
10635 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
10636 @file{.mailcap} file.
10638 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
10640 @kindex i (Article)
10641 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
10642 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
10643 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
10644 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
10645 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
10648 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
10650 @kindex E (Article)
10651 View the @sc{mime} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
10652 viewer is available, use an external viewer
10653 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
10655 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
10657 @kindex e (Article)
10658 View the @sc{mime} object with an external viewer.
10659 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
10661 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
10663 @kindex | (Article)
10664 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
10666 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
10668 @kindex . (Article)
10669 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
10670 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
10674 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
10675 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
10678 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
10679 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
10680 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
10681 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
10682 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
10683 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
10684 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
10685 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
10686 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
10688 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10690 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10693 @node Customizing Articles
10694 @section Customizing Articles
10695 @cindex article customization
10697 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10698 exist. You can call these functions interactively
10699 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
10700 called automatically when you select the articles.
10702 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10703 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10704 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10705 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10707 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10708 for sensible values.
10712 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10715 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10718 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10721 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10724 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10728 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10729 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10730 regexps in the list.
10733 A list where the first element is not a string:
10735 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10736 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10737 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10741 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10746 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10747 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10748 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10749 considered to contain just a single part.
10751 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10752 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10753 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10754 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10755 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10756 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10757 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10759 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10760 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10761 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10762 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10765 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10766 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10768 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10770 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10771 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10772 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10773 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10774 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10775 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10776 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10777 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10778 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10779 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
10781 @xref{Article Washing}.
10783 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10784 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10785 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10786 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10787 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10788 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10789 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10791 @xref{Article Date}.
10793 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10794 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10795 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10799 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10801 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10803 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10804 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10805 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10809 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10813 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10814 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10815 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10816 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10817 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10818 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10819 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10820 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10822 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10824 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10825 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10826 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10828 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10830 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10831 @item gnus-treat-translate
10832 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10834 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10835 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10836 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10837 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10839 @xref{Article Header}.
10844 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10845 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10846 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10847 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10848 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10852 @node Article Keymap
10853 @section Article Keymap
10855 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10856 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10857 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10858 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10861 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10866 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10867 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10868 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10869 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
10872 @kindex DEL (Article)
10873 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10874 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10875 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
10878 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10879 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10880 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10881 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10882 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10885 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10886 @findex gnus-article-mail
10887 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10888 given a prefix, include the mail.
10891 @kindex s (Article)
10892 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10893 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10894 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10897 @kindex ? (Article)
10898 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10899 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10900 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10903 @kindex TAB (Article)
10904 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10905 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10906 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10909 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10910 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10911 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10914 @kindex R (Article)
10915 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10916 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10917 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10918 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10922 @kindex F (Article)
10923 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10924 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10925 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10926 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10934 @section Misc Article
10938 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10939 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10940 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10941 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10944 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10945 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10947 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10948 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10950 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10951 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10952 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10953 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10954 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10955 the contents of the article buffer.
10957 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10958 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10959 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10961 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10962 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10963 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10964 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10966 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10967 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10968 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10969 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10970 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10976 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10977 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10978 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10983 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10986 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10989 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10990 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10991 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10994 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10997 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11000 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11005 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
11009 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11011 @item gnus-break-pages
11012 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11013 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11014 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11015 paging will not be done.
11017 @item gnus-page-delimiter
11018 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
11019 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
11024 @node Composing Messages
11025 @chapter Composing Messages
11026 @cindex composing messages
11029 @cindex sending mail
11034 @cindex using s/mime
11035 @cindex using smime
11037 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
11038 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
11039 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
11040 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
11041 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
11042 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
11045 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
11046 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
11047 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
11048 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
11049 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
11050 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
11051 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
11052 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
11055 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
11056 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
11062 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
11065 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
11066 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
11067 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
11068 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
11069 @code{nil} include all headers.
11071 @item gnus-add-to-list
11072 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
11073 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
11074 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
11076 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11077 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
11078 This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
11079 parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
11080 needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
11081 confirmation is should be asked for.
11083 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
11084 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
11086 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11087 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
11088 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
11089 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
11090 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
11095 @node Posting Server
11096 @section Posting Server
11098 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
11099 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
11101 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
11103 It can be quite complicated.
11105 @vindex gnus-post-method
11106 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
11107 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
11108 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
11109 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
11110 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
11111 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
11112 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
11113 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
11114 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
11117 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
11120 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
11121 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
11122 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
11123 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
11125 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
11126 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
11128 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
11129 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
11132 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
11133 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
11135 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
11136 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
11137 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
11138 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
11139 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
11140 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
11141 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
11142 package correctly. An example:
11145 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
11146 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
11149 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
11150 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
11151 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
11153 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
11154 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
11155 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
11157 @node Mail and Post
11158 @section Mail and Post
11160 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
11164 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
11165 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
11166 @cindex mailing lists
11168 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
11169 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
11170 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
11171 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
11172 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
11173 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
11174 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
11175 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
11176 still a pain, though.
11178 @item gnus-version-expose-system
11179 @vindex gnus-version-expose-system
11181 Your system type (@code{system-configuration} variable, such as
11182 @samp{i686-pc-linux}) is exposed in the auto-generated by default
11183 User-Agent header. Sometimes, it may be desireable (mostly because of
11184 aesthetic reasons) to turn it off. In this case, set it to @code{nil}.
11188 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
11189 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
11190 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
11193 @findex ispell-message
11195 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
11198 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
11199 you're in, you could say something like the following:
11202 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
11206 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
11207 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
11209 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
11212 Modify to suit your needs.
11215 @node Archived Messages
11216 @section Archived Messages
11217 @cindex archived messages
11218 @cindex sent messages
11220 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
11221 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
11222 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
11223 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
11226 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
11227 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
11230 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
11231 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
11232 use to store sent messages. The default is:
11235 (nnfolder "archive"
11236 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
11237 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
11238 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
11239 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
11242 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
11243 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
11244 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
11245 directory chosen, you could say something like:
11248 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
11249 '(nnfolder "archive"
11250 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
11251 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
11252 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
11255 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
11257 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
11258 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
11259 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
11261 This variable can be used to do the following:
11266 Messages will be saved in that group.
11268 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
11269 message will not be stored in the select method given by
11270 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
11271 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
11272 has the default value shown above. Then setting
11273 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
11274 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
11275 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
11279 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
11281 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
11282 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
11285 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11290 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11292 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11295 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11297 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11300 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11302 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11303 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11304 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11305 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11308 More complex stuff:
11310 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11311 '((if (message-news-p)
11316 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11317 messages in one file per month:
11320 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11321 '((if (message-news-p)
11323 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11326 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11327 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11329 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11330 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11331 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11332 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11333 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11334 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11335 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11336 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11337 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11338 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11340 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11341 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11342 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11343 this will disable archiving.
11346 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11347 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11348 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11349 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11350 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11353 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11354 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11355 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11358 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11359 but the latter is the preferred method.
11361 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11362 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11363 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11365 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11366 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11367 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11368 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11369 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11370 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11371 changed in the future.
11376 @node Posting Styles
11377 @section Posting Styles
11378 @cindex posting styles
11381 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11383 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11384 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11385 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11388 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11389 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11390 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11391 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11392 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11397 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11398 (organization "What me?"))
11400 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11401 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11402 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11405 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11406 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11407 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11408 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11409 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11410 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11411 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11412 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11414 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11415 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11416 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11417 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11418 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. (There original article is the
11419 one you are replying or following up to. If you are not composing a
11420 reply or a followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11421 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with no
11422 arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11423 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11424 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
11427 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11428 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11429 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11430 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11431 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11432 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11433 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11434 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11435 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11436 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11439 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11440 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11441 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11442 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11443 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11444 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11445 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11446 references chars lines xref extra.
11448 @vindex message-reply-headers
11450 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11451 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11452 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11454 @findex message-mail-p
11455 @findex message-news-p
11457 So here's a new example:
11460 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11462 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11464 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11465 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11467 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11468 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11469 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11470 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11471 (signature my-news-signature))
11472 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11473 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11474 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11475 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11476 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11477 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11478 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11479 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11480 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11481 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11483 (From (save-excursion
11484 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11485 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11487 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11490 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11491 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11492 if you fill many roles.
11499 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11500 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11501 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11502 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11503 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11505 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11506 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11507 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11508 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11509 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11513 @vindex nndraft-directory
11514 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11515 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11516 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11517 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11518 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11519 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11521 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11522 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11525 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11526 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11527 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11528 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11529 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11530 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11531 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11532 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11533 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11534 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11535 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11536 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11537 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11538 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11540 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11541 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11542 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11544 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11545 @kindex D e (Draft)
11546 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11547 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11548 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11550 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11553 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11554 @kindex D s (Draft)
11555 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11556 @kindex D S (Draft)
11557 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11558 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11559 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11560 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11561 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11564 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
11565 @kindex D t (Draft)
11566 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11567 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11568 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11571 @node Rejected Articles
11572 @section Rejected Articles
11573 @cindex rejected articles
11575 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11576 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11577 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11578 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11580 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
11581 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11582 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11583 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
11584 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11586 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11587 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11588 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11590 @node Signing and encrypting
11591 @section Signing and encrypting
11593 @cindex using s/mime
11594 @cindex using smime
11596 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11597 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11598 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11599 (@pxref{Security}).
11601 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
11602 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
11603 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
11604 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11605 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11606 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11607 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11608 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11609 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11610 automatically encrypted messages.
11612 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11613 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11614 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11619 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11620 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11622 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11625 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11626 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11628 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11631 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11632 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11634 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11637 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11638 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11640 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11643 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11644 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11646 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11649 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11650 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11652 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11655 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11656 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11657 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11661 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
11663 @node Select Methods
11664 @chapter Select Methods
11665 @cindex foreign groups
11666 @cindex select methods
11668 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11669 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11670 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11671 personal mail group.
11673 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11674 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11675 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11676 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11677 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11678 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11680 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11681 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11683 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11686 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11687 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11688 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11689 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11690 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11692 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11695 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11696 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11697 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11698 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11699 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11700 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11701 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11702 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11706 @node Server Buffer
11707 @section Server Buffer
11709 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11710 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11711 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11712 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11713 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11714 back end represents a virtual server.
11716 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11717 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11718 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11719 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11721 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11722 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11723 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11724 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11725 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11726 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11727 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11729 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11730 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11733 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11734 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11735 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11736 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11737 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11738 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11739 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11742 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11743 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11746 @node Server Buffer Format
11747 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11748 @cindex server buffer format
11750 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11751 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11752 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11753 variable, with some simple extensions:
11758 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11761 The name of this server.
11764 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11767 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11770 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11771 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11772 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11773 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11783 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11786 @node Server Commands
11787 @subsection Server Commands
11788 @cindex server commands
11794 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11795 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11799 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11800 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11803 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11804 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11805 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11809 @findex gnus-server-exit
11810 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11814 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11815 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11819 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11820 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11824 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11825 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11829 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11830 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11834 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11835 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11836 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11841 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11842 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11843 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11844 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11849 @node Example Methods
11850 @subsection Example Methods
11852 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11855 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11858 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11864 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11865 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11868 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11869 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11871 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11872 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11876 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11879 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11880 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11882 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11883 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11884 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11888 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11891 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11894 Here's the method for a public spool:
11898 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11899 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11905 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11906 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11907 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11908 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11909 should probably look something like this:
11913 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11914 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11915 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11916 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11919 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11920 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11921 configuration to the example above:
11924 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11927 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11929 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11930 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11931 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11935 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11936 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11937 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11938 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11941 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11942 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11943 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11944 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11947 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11948 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11950 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11951 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11953 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11954 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11955 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11957 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11959 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11960 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11961 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11962 will contain the following:
11972 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11973 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11974 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11977 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11978 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11979 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11982 @node Server Variables
11983 @subsection Server Variables
11985 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11986 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11987 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11988 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11989 won't change the "derived" variables.
11991 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11992 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11993 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11994 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11995 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11996 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11997 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11998 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11999 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
12003 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
12004 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
12005 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
12009 @node Servers and Methods
12010 @subsection Servers and Methods
12012 Wherever you would normally use a select method
12013 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
12014 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
12015 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
12019 @node Unavailable Servers
12020 @subsection Unavailable Servers
12022 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
12023 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
12024 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
12025 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
12026 actually the case or not.
12028 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
12029 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
12030 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
12031 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
12032 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
12033 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
12034 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
12035 it will regard that server as ``down''.
12037 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
12038 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
12040 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
12041 with the following commands:
12047 @findex gnus-server-open-server
12048 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
12049 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
12053 @findex gnus-server-close-server
12054 Close the connection (if any) to the server
12055 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
12059 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
12060 Mark the current server as unreachable
12061 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
12064 @kindex M-o (Server)
12065 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
12066 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
12067 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
12070 @kindex M-c (Server)
12071 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
12072 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
12073 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
12077 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
12078 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
12079 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
12083 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
12084 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
12090 @section Getting News
12091 @cindex reading news
12092 @cindex news back ends
12094 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
12095 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
12096 or it can read from a local spool.
12099 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
12100 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
12108 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
12109 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
12110 server as the, uhm, address.
12112 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
12113 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
12114 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
12115 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12117 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
12118 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
12119 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
12121 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
12126 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
12127 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
12128 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
12130 @cindex authentification
12131 @cindex nntp authentification
12132 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12133 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
12134 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
12135 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
12136 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
12137 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
12138 present in this hook.
12140 @item nntp-authinfo-function
12141 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
12142 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
12143 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
12144 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
12145 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
12146 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
12147 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
12148 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
12149 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
12150 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
12151 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
12155 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
12158 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
12160 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
12161 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
12162 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
12163 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
12164 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
12165 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
12166 @samp{force} is explained below.
12170 Here's an example file:
12173 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
12174 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
12177 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
12178 have to be first, for instance.
12180 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
12181 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
12182 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
12183 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
12184 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
12185 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
12186 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
12188 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
12189 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
12195 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
12196 previously mentioned.
12198 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
12200 @item nntp-server-action-alist
12201 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
12202 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
12203 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
12204 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
12207 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
12208 '(("innd" (ding))))
12211 You probably don't want to do that, though.
12213 The default value is
12216 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
12217 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
12218 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
12221 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
12222 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
12224 @item nntp-maximum-request
12225 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
12226 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
12227 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
12228 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
12229 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
12230 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
12231 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
12233 @item nntp-connection-timeout
12234 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
12235 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
12236 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
12237 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
12238 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
12239 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
12240 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
12241 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
12242 no timeouts are done.
12244 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
12245 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
12246 @c @cindex PPP connections
12247 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
12248 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
12249 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
12250 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
12251 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
12252 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
12253 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
12254 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
12255 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
12256 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
12258 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
12259 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
12260 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
12261 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
12262 @c described above.
12264 @item nntp-server-hook
12265 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12266 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12269 @item nntp-buggy-select
12270 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12271 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12273 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12274 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12275 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12276 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12279 @item nntp-xover-commands
12280 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12283 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12284 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12288 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12289 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12290 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12291 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12292 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12293 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12294 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12295 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12296 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12297 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12298 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12300 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12301 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12302 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12304 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12305 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12306 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12307 server closes connection.
12309 @item nntp-record-commands
12310 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12311 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12312 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12313 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12314 that doesn't seem to work.
12316 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12317 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12318 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12319 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12320 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12321 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12322 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12323 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12325 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12326 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12327 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12328 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12329 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12330 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12331 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12334 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12337 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12338 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12340 @item nntp-read-timeout
12341 @vindex nntp-read-timeout
12342 How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
12343 Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
12344 default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
12345 don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
12351 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12352 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12353 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12357 @node Direct Functions
12358 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12359 @cindex direct connection functions
12361 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12362 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12363 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12364 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12367 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12368 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12369 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12372 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12373 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12374 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12375 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12376 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12377 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12378 define a server as follows:
12381 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12383 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12384 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12386 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12387 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12388 (nntp-port-number 563)
12389 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12392 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12393 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12394 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12395 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12396 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12397 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12398 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12399 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12403 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12404 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12405 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12408 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12409 session, which is not a good idea.
12413 @node Indirect Functions
12414 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12415 @cindex indirect connection functions
12417 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12418 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12419 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12420 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12421 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12422 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12425 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12426 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12427 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12428 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12429 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12431 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12434 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12435 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12436 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12437 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12439 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12440 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12441 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12442 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12443 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12444 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12445 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12446 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12449 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12450 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12451 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12452 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12454 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12457 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12458 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12459 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12462 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12463 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12464 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12465 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12467 @item nntp-via-user-password
12468 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12469 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12471 @item nntp-via-envuser
12472 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12473 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12474 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12475 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12477 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12478 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12479 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12480 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12487 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12492 @item nntp-via-user-name
12493 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12494 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12496 @item nntp-via-address
12497 @vindex nntp-via-address
12498 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12503 @node Common Variables
12504 @subsubsection Common Variables
12506 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12507 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12512 @item nntp-pre-command
12513 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12514 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12515 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12516 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12517 wrapper for instance.
12520 @vindex nntp-address
12521 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12523 @item nntp-port-number
12524 @vindex nntp-port-number
12525 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12526 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12527 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12528 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12530 @item nntp-end-of-line
12531 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12532 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12533 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12534 using a non native connection function.
12536 @item nntp-telnet-command
12537 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12538 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12539 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12540 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12542 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12543 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12544 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12551 @subsection News Spool
12555 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12556 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12557 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12560 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12561 anything else) as the address.
12563 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12564 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12565 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12566 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12570 @item nnspool-inews-program
12571 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12572 Program used to post an article.
12574 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12575 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12576 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12578 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12579 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12580 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12581 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12583 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12584 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12585 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12586 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12588 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12589 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12590 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12592 @item nnspool-active-file
12593 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12594 The name of the active file.
12596 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12597 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12598 The name of the group descriptions file.
12600 @item nnspool-history-file
12601 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12602 The name of the news history file.
12604 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12605 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12606 The name of the active date file.
12608 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12609 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12610 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12613 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12614 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12616 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12617 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12618 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12624 @section Getting Mail
12625 @cindex reading mail
12628 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12632 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12633 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12634 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12635 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12636 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12637 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12638 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12639 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12640 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12641 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12642 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12643 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12644 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12648 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12649 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12651 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12652 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12653 of a culture shock.
12655 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12656 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12658 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12659 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12660 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12661 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12663 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12665 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12666 deleted? How awful!
12668 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12669 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12670 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12671 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12674 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12675 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12676 they want to treat a message.
12678 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12679 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12680 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12681 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12682 archived somewhere else.
12684 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12685 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12686 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12687 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12688 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12690 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12691 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12692 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12694 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12695 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12698 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12699 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12700 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12701 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12702 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12704 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12705 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12706 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12707 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12708 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12709 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12713 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12714 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12716 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12717 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12718 and things will happen automatically.
12720 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12721 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12724 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12727 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12728 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12729 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12730 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12731 like any other group.
12733 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12736 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12737 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12738 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12742 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12743 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12744 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12747 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12748 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12749 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12752 @node Splitting Mail
12753 @subsection Splitting Mail
12754 @cindex splitting mail
12755 @cindex mail splitting
12757 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12758 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12759 to be split into groups.
12762 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12763 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12764 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12765 ("mail.other" "")))
12768 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12769 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12770 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12771 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12772 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12773 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12774 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12777 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12780 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12781 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12782 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12783 mail belongs in that group.
12785 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12786 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12787 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12788 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12789 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12790 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12792 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12793 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12794 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12795 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12796 thinks should carry this mail message.
12798 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12799 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12800 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12801 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12803 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12804 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12805 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12806 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12807 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12809 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12812 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12813 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12814 links. If that's the case for you, set
12815 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12816 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12818 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12819 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12820 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12821 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12822 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12823 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12826 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12827 Header lines longer than the value of
12828 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12831 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12832 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12833 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12834 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12835 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12836 can be turned off completely by binding
12837 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12838 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12840 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12841 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12842 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12843 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12844 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12845 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12846 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12849 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12850 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12851 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12852 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12853 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12854 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12855 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12856 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12857 month's rent money.
12861 @subsection Mail Sources
12863 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12864 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12868 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12869 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12870 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12874 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12875 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12877 @cindex mail server
12880 @cindex mail source
12882 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12883 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12888 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12891 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12892 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12893 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12896 The following mail source types are available:
12900 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12906 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12907 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12908 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12911 An example file mail source:
12914 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12917 Or using the default file name:
12923 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12924 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12925 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12928 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12932 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12935 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12939 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12942 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12944 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12947 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12951 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12952 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12953 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12954 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12955 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12956 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12957 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12958 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12959 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12960 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12962 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12963 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12964 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12965 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12971 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12975 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12979 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12980 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12981 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12982 predicate are considered.
12986 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12990 An example directory mail source:
12993 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12998 Get mail from a POP server.
13004 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
13005 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13008 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
13009 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
13010 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
13011 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
13012 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
13015 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
13019 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
13023 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
13024 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
13027 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
13030 The valid format specifier characters are:
13034 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
13035 included in this string.
13038 The name of the server.
13041 The port number of the server.
13044 The user name to use.
13047 The password to use.
13050 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13051 corresponding keywords.
13054 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13055 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13058 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
13059 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
13062 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
13063 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
13066 @item :authentication
13067 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
13068 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
13073 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
13074 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
13076 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
13077 default user name, and default fetcher:
13083 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
13086 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
13087 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
13090 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
13093 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
13097 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
13098 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
13099 contains exactly one mail.
13105 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
13106 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
13109 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
13110 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
13112 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
13113 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
13114 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
13117 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
13118 from locking problems).
13122 Two example maildir mail sources:
13125 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
13126 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
13130 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
13135 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
13136 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
13137 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
13138 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
13141 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
13142 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
13148 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
13149 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
13152 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
13153 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
13156 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
13160 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
13164 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
13165 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
13166 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
13167 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
13169 @item :authentication
13170 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
13171 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
13172 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
13173 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
13176 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
13177 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
13178 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
13184 The valid format specifier characters are:
13188 The name of the server.
13191 User name from `imap-default-user'.
13194 The port number of the server.
13197 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
13198 corresponding keywords.
13201 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
13202 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
13205 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
13206 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
13207 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
13208 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13209 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13210 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13213 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13214 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13215 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13216 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13219 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13220 after finishing the fetch.
13224 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13227 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13229 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13233 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13234 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13235 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13237 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13238 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13240 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13246 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13247 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13250 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13254 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13258 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13259 folder after finishing the fetch.
13263 An example webmail source:
13266 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13268 :password "secret")
13273 @item Common Keywords
13274 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13280 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13281 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13285 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13290 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13291 useful when you use local mail and news.
13296 @subsubsection Function Interface
13298 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13299 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13300 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13301 consider the following mail-source setting:
13304 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13305 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13308 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13309 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13310 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13311 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13312 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13314 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13317 @node Mail Source Customization
13318 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13320 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13321 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13325 @item mail-source-crash-box
13326 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13327 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13328 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13330 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13331 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13332 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13334 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
13335 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
13336 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
13338 @item mail-source-directory
13339 @vindex mail-source-directory
13340 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13341 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13342 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13345 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13346 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13347 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13348 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13349 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13350 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13352 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13353 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13354 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13356 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13357 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13358 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13359 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13364 @node Fetching Mail
13365 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13367 @vindex mail-sources
13368 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13369 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13370 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13371 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13373 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13374 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13377 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13378 mail server, you'd say something like:
13383 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13384 :password "secret")))
13387 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13391 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13392 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13395 :password "secret")))
13399 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13400 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13401 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13402 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13403 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13404 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13408 @node Mail Back End Variables
13409 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13411 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13415 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13416 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13417 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13418 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13420 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13421 @item nnmail-split-hook
13422 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
13423 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13424 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13425 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13426 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13427 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13428 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13429 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13430 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13433 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13434 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13435 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13436 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13437 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13438 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13439 starting to handle the new mail) and
13440 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13441 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13442 default file modes the new mail files get:
13445 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13446 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13448 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13449 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13452 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13453 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13454 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13455 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13456 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13457 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13458 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13460 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13461 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13462 @findex delete-file
13463 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13465 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13466 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13467 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13468 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13469 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13471 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13472 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13473 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13474 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13475 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13477 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13478 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13479 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13484 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13485 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13486 @cindex mail splitting
13487 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13489 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13490 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13491 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13492 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13493 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13494 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13496 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13499 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13500 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13501 ;; from real errors.
13502 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13504 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13505 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13506 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13507 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13508 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13509 ;; Other mailing lists...
13510 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13511 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13512 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13513 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13514 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13515 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13516 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13517 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13519 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13520 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13524 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13525 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13526 the five possible split syntaxes:
13531 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13532 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13536 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13537 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13538 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13539 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13540 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13541 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13542 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13543 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13546 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13547 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13548 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13549 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13552 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13553 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13556 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13557 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13560 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13561 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13562 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13563 function should return a @var{split}.
13566 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13567 body of the messages:
13570 (defun split-on-body ()
13572 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13573 (goto-char (point-min))
13574 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13578 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13579 when the @code{:} function is run.
13582 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13583 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13584 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13588 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13592 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13593 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13594 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13595 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13596 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13598 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13599 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13600 are expanded as specified by the variable
13601 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13602 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13605 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13606 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13607 when all this splitting is performed.
13609 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13610 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13611 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13614 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13617 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13618 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13620 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13621 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13622 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13623 groupings 1 through 9.
13625 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13626 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13627 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13628 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13629 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13630 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13631 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13632 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13633 it once per thread.
13635 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13636 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13637 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13640 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13641 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13643 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13644 ;; other splits go here
13648 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13649 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13650 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13651 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13652 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13653 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13654 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13655 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13656 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13657 unless the group name matches the regexp
13658 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13659 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13660 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13661 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13662 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13663 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13664 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13665 messages goes into the new group.
13667 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13668 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13669 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13670 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13671 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13675 @node Group Mail Splitting
13676 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13677 @cindex mail splitting
13678 @cindex group mail splitting
13680 @findex gnus-group-split
13681 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13682 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13683 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13684 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13685 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13686 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13687 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13688 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13690 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13691 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13692 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13693 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13695 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13696 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13697 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13698 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13699 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13700 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13701 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13703 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13704 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13705 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13706 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13707 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13708 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13709 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13711 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13712 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13713 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13714 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13715 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13716 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13717 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13718 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13719 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13720 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13721 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13722 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13723 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13725 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13730 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13731 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13733 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13734 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13735 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13736 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13738 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13741 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13742 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13743 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13746 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13747 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13748 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13752 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13753 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13754 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13758 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13761 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13762 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13763 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13764 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13765 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13766 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13767 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13768 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13769 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13771 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13772 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13773 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13774 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13775 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13776 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13777 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13778 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13779 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13781 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13782 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13783 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13784 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13785 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13786 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus.el}:
13789 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13792 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13793 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13794 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13795 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13796 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13799 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13800 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13801 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13802 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13804 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13805 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13806 @cindex incorporating old mail
13807 @cindex import old mail
13809 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13810 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13811 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13814 Doing so can be quite easy.
13816 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13817 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13818 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13819 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13820 your @code{nnml} groups.
13826 Go to the group buffer.
13829 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13830 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13833 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
13836 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13837 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13840 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13841 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13844 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13845 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13846 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13847 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13848 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13850 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13851 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13852 using the new mail back end.
13855 @node Expiring Mail
13856 @subsection Expiring Mail
13857 @cindex article expiry
13859 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13860 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13861 different approach to mail reading.
13863 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13864 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13865 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13866 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13867 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13868 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13871 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13872 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13873 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13874 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13875 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13876 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13877 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13878 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13879 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13881 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13882 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13883 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13884 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13885 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13886 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13887 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13890 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13891 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13892 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13893 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13894 into its own group.)
13896 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13897 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13898 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13899 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13900 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13901 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13902 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13903 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13906 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13907 Groups that match the regular expression
13908 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13909 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13910 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13912 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13913 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13914 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13915 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13916 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13918 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13920 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13921 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13922 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13925 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13926 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13927 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13928 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13929 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13931 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13932 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13935 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13936 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13939 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13940 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13942 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13943 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13944 don't really mix very well.
13946 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13947 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13948 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13949 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13952 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13953 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13954 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13955 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13958 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13960 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13962 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13964 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13966 ((string= group "important")
13972 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13973 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13975 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13976 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13977 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13980 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13981 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13983 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13984 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13985 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13986 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13987 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13988 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13989 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13990 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13991 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13992 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13993 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13994 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13995 name or @code{delete}.
13997 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13999 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
14002 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14003 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14004 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
14005 expire mail to groups according to the variable
14006 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
14009 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
14010 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
14011 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
14012 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
14013 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
14016 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
14017 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
14018 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
14019 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
14020 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
14021 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
14023 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
14024 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
14025 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
14026 easier for procmail users.
14028 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
14029 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
14030 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
14031 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
14032 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
14033 caution. Even more dangerous is the
14034 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
14035 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
14036 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
14037 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
14038 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
14039 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
14040 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
14043 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
14045 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
14046 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
14047 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
14048 auto-expire turned on.
14052 @subsection Washing Mail
14053 @cindex mail washing
14054 @cindex list server brain damage
14055 @cindex incoming mail treatment
14057 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
14058 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
14059 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
14060 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
14061 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
14062 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
14064 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
14065 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
14066 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
14069 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
14070 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
14071 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
14072 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
14075 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14076 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
14077 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
14078 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
14079 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
14082 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14083 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
14084 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
14085 Emacs running on MS machines.
14089 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14090 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
14091 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
14092 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
14095 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14096 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
14097 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
14098 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
14100 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
14101 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
14102 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
14103 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
14104 into a feature by documenting it.)
14106 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14107 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
14108 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
14109 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
14110 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
14111 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
14112 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
14115 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
14116 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
14119 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
14120 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
14123 This can also be done non-destructively with
14124 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
14126 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
14127 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
14128 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
14130 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14131 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
14133 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
14134 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
14135 @code{References} headers.
14139 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14140 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
14141 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
14145 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
14146 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
14147 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
14154 @subsection Duplicates
14156 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
14157 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
14158 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
14159 @cindex duplicate mails
14160 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
14161 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
14162 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
14163 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
14164 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
14165 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
14166 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
14167 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
14168 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
14169 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
14170 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
14171 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
14172 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
14174 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
14175 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
14176 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
14177 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
14179 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
14182 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
14183 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
14187 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
14188 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
14189 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
14190 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
14191 (any mail "mail.misc")
14198 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14199 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
14204 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
14205 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
14206 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
14207 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
14208 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
14211 @node Not Reading Mail
14212 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14214 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14215 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14216 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14218 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14219 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14220 mail, which should help.
14222 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14223 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14224 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14225 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14226 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14227 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14228 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14229 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14230 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14231 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14232 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14234 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14235 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14239 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14240 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14242 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14243 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14244 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14246 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14247 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14248 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14249 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14250 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14251 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14252 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14255 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14256 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14257 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14258 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14259 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14260 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14264 @node Unix Mail Box
14265 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14267 @cindex unix mail box
14269 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14270 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14271 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14272 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14273 which group it belongs in.
14275 Virtual server settings:
14278 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14279 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14280 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14283 @item nnmbox-active-file
14284 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14285 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14286 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14288 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14289 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14290 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14291 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14296 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14300 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14301 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14302 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14303 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14304 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14306 Virtual server settings:
14309 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14310 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14311 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14313 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14314 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14315 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14316 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14318 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14319 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14320 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14326 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14328 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14330 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14331 format. It should be used with some caution.
14333 @vindex nnml-directory
14334 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14335 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14336 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14337 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14339 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14342 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14343 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14344 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14345 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14346 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14347 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14348 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14349 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14351 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14352 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14353 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14354 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14356 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14358 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14359 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14360 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14361 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14362 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14363 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14364 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14365 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14368 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14369 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14370 them next time it starts.
14372 Virtual server settings:
14375 @item nnml-directory
14376 @vindex nnml-directory
14377 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14378 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14381 @item nnml-active-file
14382 @vindex nnml-active-file
14383 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14384 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14386 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14387 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14388 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14389 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14391 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14392 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14393 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14396 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14397 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14398 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14399 default is @code{nil}.
14401 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14402 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14403 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14405 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14406 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14407 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14409 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14410 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14411 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14412 default is @code{nil}.
14414 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14415 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14416 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14418 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14419 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14420 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14425 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14426 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14427 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14428 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14429 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14430 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14431 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14436 @subsubsection MH Spool
14438 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14440 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14441 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14442 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14443 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14445 Virtual server settings:
14448 @item nnmh-directory
14449 @vindex nnmh-directory
14450 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14451 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14454 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14455 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14456 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14460 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14461 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14462 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14463 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14464 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14465 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14466 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14471 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14473 @cindex mbox folders
14474 @cindex mail folders
14476 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14477 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14478 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14481 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14483 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14484 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14485 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14486 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14487 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14488 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14489 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14490 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14491 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14492 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14494 Virtual server settings:
14497 @item nnfolder-directory
14498 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14499 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14500 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14503 @item nnfolder-active-file
14504 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14505 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14507 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14508 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14509 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14510 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14512 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14513 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14514 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14517 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14518 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14519 @cindex backup files
14520 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14521 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14522 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14523 your @file{.emacs} file:
14526 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14527 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14529 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14532 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14533 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14534 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14535 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14536 extract some information from it before removing it.
14538 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14539 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14540 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14541 default is @code{nil}.
14543 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14544 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14545 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14547 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14548 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14549 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14550 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14552 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14553 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14554 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14555 default is @code{nil}.
14557 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14558 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14559 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14561 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14562 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14563 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14564 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14569 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14570 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14571 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14572 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14573 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14574 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14577 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14578 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14580 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14581 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14582 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14583 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14584 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14586 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14587 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14588 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14589 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14590 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14591 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14592 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14593 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14596 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14597 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14598 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14599 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14604 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14605 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14606 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14607 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14608 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14609 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14610 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14611 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14612 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14613 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14614 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14615 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14616 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14621 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14622 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14623 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14624 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14625 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14626 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14627 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14628 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14629 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14630 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14631 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14632 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14633 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14634 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14636 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14637 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14642 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14643 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14644 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14645 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14646 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14647 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14648 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14649 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14650 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14651 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14652 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14653 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14654 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14655 provided by the active file and overviews.
14657 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14658 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
14659 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14660 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14661 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14664 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14665 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14670 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14671 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14672 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14673 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14674 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14675 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14676 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14680 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14681 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14682 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14683 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14684 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14685 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14686 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14687 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14688 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14690 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14691 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14692 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14693 friendly mail back end all over.
14697 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14698 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14699 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14700 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14701 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14702 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14703 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14704 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14707 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14708 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14709 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14710 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14711 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14712 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14713 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14714 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14715 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14716 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14717 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14719 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14720 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14721 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14722 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14723 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14724 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14725 This will probably be changed in the future.
14727 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14728 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14729 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14730 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14731 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14734 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14735 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14737 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14738 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14739 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14740 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14741 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14742 would) to make it use less memory.
14744 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14745 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14746 depending in part on your file system.
14748 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14749 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14754 @node Browsing the Web
14755 @section Browsing the Web
14757 @cindex browsing the web
14761 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14762 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14763 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14764 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14765 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14766 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14767 even know what a news group is.
14769 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14770 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14771 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14772 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14773 you mad in the end.
14775 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14778 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14779 interfaces to these sources.
14783 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14784 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14785 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14786 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14787 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14788 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14791 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14793 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14794 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14795 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14796 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14797 though, you should be ok.
14799 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14800 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14801 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14802 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14803 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14805 @node Archiving Mail
14806 @subsection Archiving Mail
14807 @cindex archiving mail
14808 @cindex backup of mail
14810 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14811 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14812 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14813 marks is fairly simple.
14815 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14816 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14819 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14820 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14821 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14822 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14823 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14824 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14825 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14826 before you restore the data.
14828 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14829 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14830 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14831 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14832 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14833 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14834 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14835 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14836 is unnecessary in that case.
14839 @subsection Web Searches
14844 @cindex Usenet searches
14845 @cindex searching the Usenet
14847 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14848 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14849 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14850 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14851 searches without having to use a browser.
14853 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14854 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14855 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14856 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14857 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14859 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14860 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14861 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14862 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14863 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14864 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14865 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14866 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14867 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14868 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14871 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14872 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14873 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14874 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14875 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14876 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14878 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14879 to use @code{nnweb}.
14881 Virtual server variables:
14886 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14887 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14888 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14891 @vindex nnweb-search
14892 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14894 @item nnweb-max-hits
14895 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14896 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14899 @item nnweb-type-definition
14900 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14901 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14902 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14907 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14911 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14914 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14917 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14921 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14928 @subsection Slashdot
14932 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14933 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14934 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14936 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14937 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14940 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14941 '((nnslashdot "")))
14944 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14945 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14946 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14947 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14948 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14951 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14952 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14954 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14955 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14956 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14957 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14958 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14959 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14962 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14965 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14966 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14967 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14968 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14969 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14970 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14971 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
14973 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14974 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14975 The login name to use when posting.
14977 @item nnslashdot-password
14978 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14979 The password to use when posting.
14981 @item nnslashdot-directory
14982 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14983 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14984 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14986 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14987 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14988 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14989 news articles and comments. The default is
14990 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14992 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14993 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14994 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14996 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14998 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14999 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
15000 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
15002 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
15004 @item nnslashdot-threshold
15005 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
15006 The score threshold. The default is -1.
15008 @item nnslashdot-group-number
15009 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
15010 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
15011 updated. The default is 0.
15018 @subsection Ultimate
15020 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
15022 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
15023 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
15024 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
15025 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
15027 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
15028 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
15029 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
15030 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
15031 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
15032 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
15033 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
15035 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
15038 @item nnultimate-directory
15039 @vindex nnultimate-directory
15040 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
15041 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
15046 @subsection Web Archive
15048 @cindex Web Archive
15050 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
15051 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
15052 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
15053 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15056 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
15057 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
15058 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
15059 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
15060 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
15061 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
15062 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
15063 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
15065 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
15068 @item nnwarchive-directory
15069 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
15070 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
15071 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
15073 @item nnwarchive-login
15074 @vindex nnwarchive-login
15075 The account name on the web server.
15077 @item nnwarchive-passwd
15078 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
15079 The password for your account on the web server.
15087 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
15088 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
15089 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
15092 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
15093 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
15096 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
15099 @item nnrss-directory
15100 @vindex nnrss-directory
15101 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
15102 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
15106 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
15107 the summary buffer.
15110 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
15111 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
15113 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
15115 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
15116 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
15119 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
15122 (require 'browse-url)
15124 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
15126 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
15129 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
15130 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
15133 (browse-url (cdr url))
15134 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
15135 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
15137 (eval-after-load "gnus"
15138 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
15139 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
15140 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
15143 @node Customizing w3
15144 @subsection Customizing w3
15150 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
15151 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
15152 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
15154 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
15155 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
15156 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
15159 (eval-after-load "w3"
15161 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
15162 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
15163 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
15164 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
15166 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
15169 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
15170 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
15179 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
15180 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
15181 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
15182 specify the network address of the server.
15184 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
15185 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
15186 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
15187 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
15188 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
15190 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
15191 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
15192 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
15193 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
15195 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
15196 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
15197 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
15198 usage explained in this section.
15200 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
15201 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
15202 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
15205 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
15206 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
15207 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
15209 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15210 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
15211 ; a UW server running on localhost
15213 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15214 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15215 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15216 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15217 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15218 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15219 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15220 (nnimap-stream network))
15221 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15223 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15224 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15225 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15228 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
15229 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
15230 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
15231 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
15233 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15238 @item nnimap-address
15239 @vindex nnimap-address
15241 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15242 server name if not specified.
15244 @item nnimap-server-port
15245 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15246 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15248 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15251 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15252 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15255 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15256 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15257 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15258 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15259 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15260 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15261 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15263 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15264 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15265 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15268 Example server specification:
15271 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15272 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15273 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15276 @item nnimap-stream
15277 @vindex nnimap-stream
15278 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15279 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15280 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15281 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15283 Example server specification:
15286 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15287 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15290 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15294 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15295 @samp{imtest} program.
15297 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15299 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15300 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15303 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15304 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15305 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15307 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15309 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15312 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15313 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15314 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15315 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15316 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15317 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15318 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15319 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15320 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15323 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15324 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15325 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15326 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
15327 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15328 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15329 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15330 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15331 distribution, for instance).
15333 @vindex imap-shell-program
15334 @vindex imap-shell-host
15335 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15336 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15338 @item nnimap-authenticator
15339 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15341 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15342 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15344 Example server specification:
15347 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15348 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15351 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15355 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15356 external program @code{imtest}.
15358 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15361 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15362 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15364 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15366 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15368 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your email address as password.
15371 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15373 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15374 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15375 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15376 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15377 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15378 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15381 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15382 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15383 running in circles yet?
15385 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15386 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15389 The possible options are:
15394 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15397 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15398 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15399 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15400 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15402 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15407 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15408 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15410 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15411 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15412 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15413 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15414 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15417 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15418 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15421 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15422 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15423 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15424 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15427 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15428 as ticked for other users.
15430 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15432 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15434 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15435 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15436 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15437 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15439 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15440 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15441 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15442 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15444 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15445 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15447 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15448 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15449 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15455 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15456 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15457 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15458 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15459 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15464 @node Splitting in IMAP
15465 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15466 @cindex splitting imap mail
15468 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15469 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15470 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15471 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15472 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15476 Here are the variables of interest:
15480 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15481 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15483 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15485 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15486 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15488 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15490 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15491 @cindex splitting, inbox
15493 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15495 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15496 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15500 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15501 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15504 No nnmail equivalent.
15506 @item nnimap-split-rule
15507 @cindex Splitting, rules
15508 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15510 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15513 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15514 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15515 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15516 Neither did I, we need examples.
15519 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15521 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15522 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15523 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15526 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15527 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15528 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15530 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15531 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15535 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15538 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15539 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15541 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15542 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15543 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15544 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15546 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15547 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15548 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15549 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15550 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15551 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15553 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15554 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15555 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15557 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15558 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15559 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15561 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15563 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15564 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15565 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15568 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15569 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15570 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15571 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15572 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15573 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15576 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15577 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15578 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15579 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15580 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15581 group/function elements.
15583 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15585 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15587 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15589 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15590 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15592 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15593 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15594 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15597 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15598 @cindex splitting, fancy
15599 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15600 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15602 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15603 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15604 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15606 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15607 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15608 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15609 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15614 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15615 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15618 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15620 @item nnimap-split-download-body
15621 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
15622 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
15624 Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
15625 generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
15626 may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
15627 analyses the body to split the article.
15631 @node Expiring in IMAP
15632 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15633 @cindex expiring imap mail
15635 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
15636 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
15637 Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
15638 not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
15639 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
15640 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
15643 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15644 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15645 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15646 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15647 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15648 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15649 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15650 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15654 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15655 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15657 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15658 number, the symbol @var{immediate} or @var{never}.
15660 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15662 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15663 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15664 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15665 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15669 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15670 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15671 @cindex editing imap acls
15672 @cindex Access Control Lists
15673 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15675 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15677 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15678 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15679 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15682 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15683 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15684 editing window with detailed instructions.
15686 Some possible uses:
15690 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15691 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15692 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15694 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15695 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15696 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15700 @node Expunging mailboxes
15701 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15705 @cindex Manual expunging
15707 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15709 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15710 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15711 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15713 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15716 @node A note on namespaces
15717 @subsection A note on namespaces
15718 @cindex IMAP namespace
15721 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15722 following text in the RFC:
15725 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15727 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15728 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15729 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15730 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15732 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15733 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15734 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15735 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15736 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15737 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15740 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15741 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15742 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15744 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15745 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15746 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15747 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15748 the namespace prefix, i.e @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15749 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15750 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15751 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15753 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15754 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15755 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15757 @node Other Sources
15758 @section Other Sources
15760 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15761 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15765 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15766 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15767 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15768 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15769 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15773 @node Directory Groups
15774 @subsection Directory Groups
15776 @cindex directory groups
15778 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15779 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15782 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15783 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15784 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15785 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15787 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15788 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15789 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15790 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15791 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15793 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15795 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15796 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15797 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15798 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15801 @node Anything Groups
15802 @subsection Anything Groups
15805 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15806 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15807 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15810 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15811 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15812 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15813 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15814 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15815 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15816 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15817 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15818 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15819 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15822 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15823 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15824 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15825 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15827 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15828 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15829 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15830 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15832 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15833 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15834 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15835 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15836 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15837 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15838 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15839 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15844 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15845 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15846 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15847 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15849 @item nneething-exclude-files
15850 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15851 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15852 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15854 @item nneething-include-files
15855 @vindex nneething-include-files
15856 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15857 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15859 @item nneething-map-file
15860 @vindex nneething-map-file
15861 Name of the map files.
15865 @node Document Groups
15866 @subsection Document Groups
15868 @cindex documentation group
15871 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15872 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15879 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15884 The standard Unix mbox file.
15886 @cindex MMDF mail box
15888 The MMDF mail box format.
15891 Several news articles appended into a file.
15894 @cindex rnews batch files
15895 The rnews batch transport format.
15896 @cindex forwarded messages
15899 Forwarded articles.
15902 Netscape mail boxes.
15905 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15907 @item standard-digest
15908 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15911 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15913 @item lanl-gov-announce
15914 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15916 @item rfc822-forward
15917 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15920 The Outlook mail box.
15923 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15926 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15929 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15932 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15938 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15941 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15947 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15948 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15949 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15952 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15953 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15954 group. And that's it.
15956 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15957 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15958 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15959 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15960 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15961 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15962 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15963 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15964 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15965 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15967 Virtual server variables:
15970 @item nndoc-article-type
15971 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15972 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15973 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15974 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15975 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15976 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15978 @item nndoc-post-type
15979 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15980 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15981 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15986 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15990 @node Document Server Internals
15991 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15993 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15994 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15995 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15996 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15998 First, here's an example document type definition:
16002 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
16003 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
16006 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
16007 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
16008 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
16009 types can be defined with very few settings:
16012 @item first-article
16013 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
16014 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
16017 @item article-begin
16018 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
16019 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
16021 @item head-begin-function
16022 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
16025 @item nndoc-head-begin
16026 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
16029 @item nndoc-head-end
16030 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
16031 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
16033 @item body-begin-function
16034 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
16038 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
16041 @item body-end-function
16042 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
16046 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
16049 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
16050 regexp will be totally ignored.
16054 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
16055 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
16056 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
16057 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
16058 something that's palatable for Gnus:
16061 @item prepare-body-function
16062 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
16063 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
16064 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
16066 @item article-transform-function
16067 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
16068 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
16069 body of the article.
16071 @item generate-head-function
16072 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
16073 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
16074 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
16075 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
16079 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
16084 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16085 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
16086 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
16087 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
16088 (head-end . "^ ?$")
16089 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
16090 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
16091 (subtype digest guess))
16094 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
16095 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
16096 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
16097 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
16098 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
16100 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
16101 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
16102 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
16103 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
16104 traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
16105 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
16106 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
16107 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
16108 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
16109 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
16117 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
16118 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
16119 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
16121 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
16122 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
16123 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
16126 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
16127 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
16128 that interested in doing things properly.
16130 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
16131 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
16134 First some terminology:
16139 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
16140 get news and/or mail from.
16143 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
16144 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
16147 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
16151 @item message packets
16152 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
16153 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
16154 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16156 @item response packets
16157 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
16158 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
16159 default, where @var{x} is a number.
16169 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
16170 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
16171 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
16172 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
16175 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
16178 You put the packet in your home directory.
16181 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
16182 the native or secondary server.
16185 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
16186 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
16189 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
16193 You transfer this packet to the server.
16196 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
16199 You then repeat until you die.
16203 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
16204 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
16207 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
16208 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
16209 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
16213 @node SOUP Commands
16214 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
16216 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
16220 @kindex G s b (Group)
16221 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
16222 Pack all unread articles in the current group
16223 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
16224 process/prefix convention.
16227 @kindex G s w (Group)
16228 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16229 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16232 @kindex G s s (Group)
16233 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16234 Send all replies from the replies packet
16235 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16238 @kindex G s p (Group)
16239 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16240 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16243 @kindex G s r (Group)
16244 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16245 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16248 @kindex O s (Summary)
16249 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16250 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16251 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16252 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16257 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16262 @item gnus-soup-directory
16263 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16264 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16265 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16267 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16268 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16269 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16270 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16272 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16273 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16274 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16275 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16277 @item gnus-soup-packer
16278 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16279 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16280 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16282 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16283 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16284 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16285 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16287 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16288 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16289 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16291 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16292 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16293 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16294 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16300 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16303 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16304 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16305 you can read them at leisure.
16307 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16311 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16312 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16313 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16314 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16316 @item nnsoup-directory
16317 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16318 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16319 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16321 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16322 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16323 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16324 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
16326 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16327 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16328 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16329 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16330 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16332 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16333 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16334 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16335 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16337 @item nnsoup-active-file
16338 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16339 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16340 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16341 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16342 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16344 @item nnsoup-packer
16345 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16346 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16347 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16349 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16350 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16351 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16352 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16354 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16355 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16356 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16359 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16360 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16361 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16364 @item nnsoup-always-save
16365 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16366 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16372 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16374 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16375 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16376 more for that to happen.
16378 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16379 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16380 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16383 In specific, this is what it does:
16386 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16387 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16390 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16391 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16392 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16395 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16396 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16397 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16400 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16401 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16402 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16404 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16410 @item nngateway-address
16411 @vindex nngateway-address
16412 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16414 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16415 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16416 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16417 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16418 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16419 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16420 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16423 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16424 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16425 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16428 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16431 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16434 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16437 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16439 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16442 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16443 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16444 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16446 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16448 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16449 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16450 @code{nngateway-address}.
16455 (setq gnus-post-method
16457 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16458 (nngateway-header-transformation
16459 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16467 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16470 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16475 @node Combined Groups
16476 @section Combined Groups
16478 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16482 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16483 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16487 @node Virtual Groups
16488 @subsection Virtual Groups
16490 @cindex virtual groups
16491 @cindex merging groups
16493 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16496 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16497 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16498 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16500 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16501 regexp to match component groups.
16503 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16504 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16505 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16506 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16507 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16508 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16509 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16510 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16512 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16513 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16516 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16519 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16520 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16522 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16523 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16524 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16525 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16528 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16531 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16532 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16533 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16535 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16536 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16537 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16538 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16539 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16541 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16542 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16543 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16545 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16546 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16547 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16548 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16549 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16550 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16551 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16552 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16553 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16554 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16555 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16557 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16558 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16559 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16560 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16561 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16562 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16563 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16565 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16566 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16568 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16569 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16573 @node Kibozed Groups
16574 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16578 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16579 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16580 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16581 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16583 @kindex G k (Group)
16584 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16587 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16588 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16589 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16590 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16592 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16593 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16594 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16596 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16597 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16598 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16599 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16600 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16601 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16602 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16603 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16605 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16606 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16607 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16608 Stranger things have happened.
16610 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16611 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16613 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16614 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16615 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16616 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16617 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16618 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16620 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16621 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16624 @node Gnus Unplugged
16625 @section Gnus Unplugged
16630 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16632 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16633 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16634 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16635 read news. Believe it or not.
16637 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16638 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16639 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16640 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16641 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16643 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16644 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16645 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16646 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16647 reading news on a machine.
16649 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16650 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16652 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16655 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16656 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16657 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16658 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16659 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16660 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
16661 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16662 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16663 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16664 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16665 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16666 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16671 @subsection Agent Basics
16673 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16675 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16676 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16677 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16678 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16680 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16681 connected to the net continuously.
16683 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16684 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16686 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16691 @findex gnus-unplugged
16692 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16693 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16694 already fetched while in this mode.
16697 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16698 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16699 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16700 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16701 Source Specifiers}).
16704 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16705 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16706 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16707 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16708 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16711 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16712 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16713 then you read the news offline.
16716 And then you go to step 2.
16719 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16725 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16726 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16727 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16728 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16729 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16730 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16731 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16732 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16735 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16742 @node Agent Categories
16743 @subsection Agent Categories
16745 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16746 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16747 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16748 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16749 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16750 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16751 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16753 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16754 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16755 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16756 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16757 managing categories.
16760 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16761 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16762 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16766 @node Category Syntax
16767 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16769 A category consists of two things.
16773 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16774 are eligible for downloading; and
16777 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16778 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16779 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16782 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16783 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16784 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16785 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16787 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16788 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16789 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16791 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16792 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16793 operators sprinkled in between.
16795 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16797 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16798 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16804 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16805 short (for some value of ``short'').
16807 Here's a more complex predicate:
16816 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16817 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16820 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16821 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16822 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16824 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16825 you want to do, you can write your own.
16829 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16830 lines; default 100.
16833 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16834 lines; default 200.
16837 True iff the article has a download score less than
16838 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16841 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16842 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16845 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16846 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16847 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16856 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16857 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16858 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16861 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16862 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16863 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16864 something along the lines of the following:
16867 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16868 "Say whether an article is old."
16869 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16870 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16873 with the predicate then defined as:
16876 (not my-article-old-p)
16879 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16880 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16884 (require 'gnus-agent)
16885 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16886 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16887 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16890 and simply specify your predicate as:
16896 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16897 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16898 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16899 just don't give a damn.
16901 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16902 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16903 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16904 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16905 parameters like so:
16908 (agent-predicate . short)
16911 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16912 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16913 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16915 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16918 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16921 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16922 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16923 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16926 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16927 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16928 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16929 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16930 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16931 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16933 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16934 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16935 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16936 if it's to be specific to that group.
16938 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16945 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16946 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16952 Category specification
16956 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16962 Group Parameter specification
16965 (agent-score ("from"
16966 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16971 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16977 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16984 Category specification
16987 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16993 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16997 Group Parameter specification
17000 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
17003 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
17008 Use @code{normal} score files
17010 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
17011 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
17012 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
17013 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
17015 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
17016 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
17017 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
17018 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
17022 Category Specification
17029 Group Parameter specification
17032 (agent-score . file)
17037 @node Category Buffer
17038 @subsubsection Category Buffer
17040 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
17041 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
17042 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
17044 The following commands are available in this buffer:
17048 @kindex q (Category)
17049 @findex gnus-category-exit
17050 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
17053 @kindex k (Category)
17054 @findex gnus-category-kill
17055 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
17058 @kindex c (Category)
17059 @findex gnus-category-copy
17060 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
17063 @kindex a (Category)
17064 @findex gnus-category-add
17065 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
17068 @kindex p (Category)
17069 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
17070 Edit the predicate of the current category
17071 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
17074 @kindex g (Category)
17075 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
17076 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
17077 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
17080 @kindex s (Category)
17081 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
17082 Edit the download score rule of the current category
17083 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
17086 @kindex l (Category)
17087 @findex gnus-category-list
17088 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
17092 @node Category Variables
17093 @subsubsection Category Variables
17096 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
17097 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
17098 Hook run in category buffers.
17100 @item gnus-category-line-format
17101 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
17102 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
17103 Variables}). Valid elements are:
17107 The name of the category.
17110 The number of groups in the category.
17113 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
17114 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
17115 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
17117 @item gnus-agent-short-article
17118 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
17119 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
17121 @item gnus-agent-long-article
17122 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
17123 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
17125 @item gnus-agent-low-score
17126 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
17127 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
17130 @item gnus-agent-high-score
17131 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
17132 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
17138 @node Agent Commands
17139 @subsection Agent Commands
17140 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
17141 @kindex J j (Agent)
17143 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
17144 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
17145 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
17149 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
17150 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
17151 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
17157 @node Group Agent Commands
17158 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
17162 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
17163 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
17164 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
17165 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
17168 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
17169 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
17170 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
17173 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
17174 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
17175 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
17176 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
17179 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
17180 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
17181 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
17182 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
17185 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
17186 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
17187 Add the current group to an Agent category
17188 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
17189 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17192 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
17193 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
17194 Remove the current group from its category, if any
17195 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
17196 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
17199 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
17200 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17201 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
17207 @node Summary Agent Commands
17208 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
17212 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
17213 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
17214 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
17217 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
17218 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
17219 Remove the downloading mark from the article
17220 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
17224 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
17225 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
17226 Toggle whether to download the article
17227 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
17231 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17232 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17233 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
17236 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
17237 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
17238 Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
17239 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
17242 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
17243 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
17244 Download all processable articles in this group.
17245 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
17248 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17249 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17250 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17251 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17256 @node Server Agent Commands
17257 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17261 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17262 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17263 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17264 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17267 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17268 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17269 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17270 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17275 @node Agent as Cache
17276 @subsection Agent as Cache
17278 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17279 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17280 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17281 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17282 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17283 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17284 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17285 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17286 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17288 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17289 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17292 @subsection Agent Expiry
17294 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17295 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17296 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17297 @cindex Agent expiry
17298 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17301 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17302 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17303 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17304 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17305 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17306 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17308 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
17309 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
17310 synchronized with the group.
17312 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17313 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17314 expiry in different groups.
17317 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17323 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17324 method---it must always match all groups. Also, for a regexp to match,
17325 it must match from the beginning of the group's name.
17327 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17328 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17329 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17330 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17331 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17333 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17334 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17335 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17337 @node Agent Regeneration
17338 @subsection Agent Regeneration
17340 @cindex Agent Regeneration
17341 @cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
17342 @cindex regeneration
17344 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
17345 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
17346 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
17347 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
17348 internal inconsistencies.
17350 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
17351 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
17352 know about articles downloaded prior to the connection failure.
17353 Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
17354 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
17355 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
17357 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17358 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
17359 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
17360 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
17361 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
17362 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
17364 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17365 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
17366 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
17367 of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
17368 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
17369 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
17372 @node Agent and IMAP
17373 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17375 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17376 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17377 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17378 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17380 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17381 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
17382 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17383 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17385 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17386 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17387 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17388 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17390 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17391 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17392 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17393 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17394 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17395 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17397 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17398 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17399 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17400 in the group buffer.
17402 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17403 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17408 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17411 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17415 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
17416 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17417 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17418 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17419 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17420 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
17421 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17422 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17425 @node Outgoing Messages
17426 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17428 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17429 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17430 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17432 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17433 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17434 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17435 messages in the draft group.
17439 @node Agent Variables
17440 @subsection Agent Variables
17443 @item gnus-agent-directory
17444 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17445 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17446 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17448 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17449 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17450 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17451 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17452 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17455 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17456 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17457 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17459 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17460 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17461 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17463 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17464 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17465 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17467 @item gnus-agent-cache
17468 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17469 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17470 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17471 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17473 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17474 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17475 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17476 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17477 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17478 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17479 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17482 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17483 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
17484 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
17485 mark articles as unread after downloading. The default is t.
17487 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17488 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
17489 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
17490 agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
17491 fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
17493 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17494 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
17495 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
17496 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
17497 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
17498 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
17499 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
17500 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
17501 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
17502 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
17503 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
17504 available while unplugged).
17506 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17507 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17508 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17509 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17510 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17511 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17512 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17513 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17514 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17519 @node Example Setup
17520 @subsection Example Setup
17522 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17523 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17524 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17527 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17528 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17529 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17531 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17532 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17533 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17535 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17536 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17538 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17539 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17540 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17543 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17544 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17547 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17548 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17549 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17550 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17551 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17554 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17555 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17556 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17557 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17558 back all the killed groups.)
17560 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17561 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17562 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17565 @node Batching Agents
17566 @subsection Batching Agents
17567 @findex gnus-agent-batch
17569 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17570 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17571 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17573 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
17574 following incantation:
17578 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
17582 @node Agent Caveats
17583 @subsection Agent Caveats
17585 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17586 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17590 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17592 @strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
17593 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
17594 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
17596 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17598 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17602 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17603 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
17604 locally stored articles.
17611 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17612 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17613 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17616 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17617 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17618 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17619 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17620 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17622 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17623 before generating the summary buffer.
17625 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17626 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17627 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17629 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17630 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17631 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17632 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17635 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17636 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17637 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17638 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17639 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17640 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17641 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17642 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17643 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17644 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17645 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17646 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17647 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17648 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17649 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17650 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17651 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17655 @node Summary Score Commands
17656 @section Summary Score Commands
17657 @cindex score commands
17659 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17660 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17661 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17662 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17663 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17665 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17666 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17667 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17668 score file the current one.
17670 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17675 @kindex V s (Summary)
17676 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17677 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17680 @kindex V S (Summary)
17681 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17682 Display the score of the current article
17683 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17686 @kindex V t (Summary)
17687 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17688 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17689 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17692 @kindex V w (Summary)
17693 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17694 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17697 @kindex V R (Summary)
17698 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17699 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17700 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17701 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17702 effect you're having.
17705 @kindex V c (Summary)
17706 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17707 Make a different score file the current
17708 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17711 @kindex V e (Summary)
17712 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17713 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17714 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17718 @kindex V f (Summary)
17719 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17720 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17721 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17724 @kindex V F (Summary)
17725 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17726 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17727 after editing score files.
17730 @kindex V C (Summary)
17731 @findex gnus-score-customize
17732 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17733 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17737 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17742 @kindex V m (Summary)
17743 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17744 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17745 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17748 @kindex V x (Summary)
17749 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17750 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17751 expunge all articles below this score
17752 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17755 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17756 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17759 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17760 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17764 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17765 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17767 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17768 keys are available:
17772 Score on the author name.
17775 Score on the subject line.
17778 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17781 Score on the @code{References} line.
17787 Score on the number of lines.
17790 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17793 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17794 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17797 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17798 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17799 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17808 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17814 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17815 what headers you are scoring on.
17827 Substring matching.
17830 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17859 Greater than number.
17864 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17865 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17866 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17871 Temporary score entry.
17874 Permanent score entry.
17877 Immediately scoring.
17881 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17882 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17883 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17887 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17888 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17889 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17890 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17892 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17893 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17894 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17895 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17896 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17898 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17899 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17900 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17901 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17902 current score file.
17904 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17905 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17906 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17909 @node Group Score Commands
17910 @section Group Score Commands
17911 @cindex group score commands
17913 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17918 @kindex W f (Group)
17919 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17920 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17921 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17922 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17926 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17928 @findex gnus-batch-score
17929 @cindex batch scoring
17931 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17935 @node Score Variables
17936 @section Score Variables
17937 @cindex score variables
17941 @item gnus-use-scoring
17942 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17943 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17944 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17946 @item gnus-kill-killed
17947 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17948 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17949 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17950 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17951 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17952 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17953 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17955 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17956 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17957 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17958 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17959 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17961 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17962 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17963 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17964 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17966 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17967 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17968 @cindex score cache
17969 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17970 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17971 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
17972 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17973 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17974 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17977 @item gnus-save-score
17978 @vindex gnus-save-score
17979 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17980 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17981 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17983 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17984 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17985 across group visits.
17987 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17988 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17989 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17990 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17991 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17992 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17993 manually entered data.
17995 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17996 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17997 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17999 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
18000 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
18001 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
18002 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
18003 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
18004 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
18006 @item gnus-score-over-mark
18007 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
18008 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
18009 default. Default is @samp{+}.
18011 @item gnus-score-below-mark
18012 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
18013 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
18014 default. Default is @samp{-}.
18016 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18017 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
18018 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
18019 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
18021 Predefined functions available are:
18024 @item gnus-score-find-single
18025 @findex gnus-score-find-single
18026 Only apply the group's own score file.
18028 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
18029 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
18030 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
18031 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
18032 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
18033 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
18034 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
18035 then a regexp match is done.
18037 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
18038 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
18040 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
18041 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
18042 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
18043 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
18045 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18046 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
18047 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
18048 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
18049 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
18053 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
18054 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
18055 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
18056 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
18057 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
18058 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
18059 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
18062 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
18063 overall score file, you could use the value
18065 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
18066 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
18069 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
18070 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
18071 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
18072 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
18073 are expired. It's 7 by default.
18075 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18076 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
18077 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
18078 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
18079 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
18080 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
18081 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
18082 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
18084 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18085 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
18086 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
18088 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
18089 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
18090 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
18091 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
18092 threading---according to the current value of
18093 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
18094 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
18095 simplified in this manner.
18100 @node Score File Format
18101 @section Score File Format
18102 @cindex score file format
18104 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
18105 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
18106 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
18108 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
18112 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
18114 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
18116 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
18118 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
18123 (mark-and-expunge -10)
18127 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
18128 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
18129 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
18130 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
18134 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
18135 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
18137 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
18138 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
18139 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
18141 Six keys are supported by this alist:
18146 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
18147 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
18148 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
18149 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
18150 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
18151 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
18152 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
18153 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
18154 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
18155 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
18156 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
18157 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
18158 to articles that matches these score entries.
18160 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
18161 score entry has one to four elements.
18165 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
18166 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
18170 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
18171 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
18172 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
18173 is successful. If this element is not present, the
18174 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
18175 instead. This is 1000 by default.
18178 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
18179 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
18180 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
18181 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
18182 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
18185 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
18186 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
18187 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
18188 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
18191 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
18192 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
18193 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
18194 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
18195 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
18196 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
18197 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
18198 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
18199 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
18200 instead, if you feel like.
18203 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
18204 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
18205 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
18206 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
18207 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
18208 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
18211 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
18215 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
18216 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
18218 These predicates are true if
18221 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
18224 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
18225 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
18232 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
18233 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
18234 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
18235 it's not. I think.)
18237 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
18238 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
18239 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
18240 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
18243 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
18244 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
18245 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
18246 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
18247 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
18248 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
18249 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
18253 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
18254 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
18255 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
18256 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
18257 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
18258 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
18259 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
18260 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
18263 @item Head, Body, All
18264 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
18268 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
18269 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
18270 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
18271 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
18272 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
18273 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
18274 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
18278 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
18279 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
18280 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
18281 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
18282 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
18283 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
18284 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
18285 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
18286 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
18287 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
18288 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
18292 @cindex Score File Atoms
18294 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18295 lower than this number will be marked as read.
18298 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18299 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
18301 @item mark-and-expunge
18302 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
18303 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
18306 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
18307 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
18308 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
18309 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18310 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18313 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18314 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18317 @item exclude-files
18318 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18319 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18323 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18324 ignored when handling global score files.
18327 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18328 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18329 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18330 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18333 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18334 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18335 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18336 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18338 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18342 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18345 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18346 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18347 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18348 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18349 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18351 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18352 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18353 scoring rules exist.
18356 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18357 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18358 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18359 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18360 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18361 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18362 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18363 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18364 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18365 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18366 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18370 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18371 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18372 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18373 file for a number of groups.
18376 @cindex local variables
18377 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
18378 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
18379 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
18380 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
18381 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
18385 @node Score File Editing
18386 @section Score File Editing
18388 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18389 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18390 with a mode for that.
18392 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18393 additional commands:
18398 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18399 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18400 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18401 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18404 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18405 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18406 Insert the current date in numerical format
18407 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18408 you were wondering.
18411 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18412 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18413 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18414 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18415 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18420 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18422 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18423 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18425 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18426 e} to begin editing score files.
18429 @node Adaptive Scoring
18430 @section Adaptive Scoring
18431 @cindex adaptive scoring
18433 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18434 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18435 stupidity, to be precise.
18437 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18438 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18439 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18440 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18441 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18442 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18443 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18444 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18445 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18447 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18448 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18449 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18450 might look something like this:
18453 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18454 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18455 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18456 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18457 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18458 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18459 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18460 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18461 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18462 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18463 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18464 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18467 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18468 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18469 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18470 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18471 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18472 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18475 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18476 will be applied to each article.
18478 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18479 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18480 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18481 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18483 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18484 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18485 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18486 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18488 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18489 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18490 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18491 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18493 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18494 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18495 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18496 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18497 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18498 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18500 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18501 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18502 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18504 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18505 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18506 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18508 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18509 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18510 let you use different rules in different groups.
18512 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18513 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18514 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18517 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18518 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18519 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18520 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18521 the length of the match is less than
18522 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18523 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18526 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18527 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18528 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18529 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18530 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18533 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18534 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18535 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18536 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18537 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18540 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18541 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18542 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18543 score with 30 points.
18545 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18546 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18547 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18548 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18549 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18551 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18552 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18553 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18554 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18555 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
18557 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18558 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18559 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18560 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18562 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18563 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18564 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18565 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18567 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18568 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18569 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18570 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18571 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18573 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18574 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18575 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18577 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18578 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18579 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18580 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18583 @node Home Score File
18584 @section Home Score File
18586 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18587 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18588 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18589 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18591 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18592 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18593 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18595 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18596 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18601 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18605 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18606 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18610 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18614 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18615 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18618 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18619 the home score file.
18622 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18625 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18630 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18633 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18634 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18637 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18638 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18640 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18642 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18643 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18646 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18647 Other functions include
18650 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18651 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18652 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18653 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18657 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18658 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18659 their own home score files:
18662 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18663 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18664 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18665 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18666 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18669 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18670 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18671 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18672 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18673 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18675 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18676 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18677 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18678 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18679 precedence over this variable.
18682 @node Followups To Yourself
18683 @section Followups To Yourself
18685 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18686 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18687 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18688 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18689 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18690 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18694 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18695 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18696 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18699 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18700 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18701 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18705 @vindex message-sent-hook
18706 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18707 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18709 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18713 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18714 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18718 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18719 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18722 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18723 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18728 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18732 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18733 is system-dependent.
18736 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18737 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18738 @cindex scoring on other headers
18740 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18741 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18742 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18743 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18744 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18746 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18747 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18748 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18749 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18750 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18752 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18755 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18756 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18759 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18760 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18761 time if you have much mail.
18763 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18764 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18770 @section Scoring Tips
18771 @cindex scoring tips
18777 @cindex scoring crossposts
18778 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18779 the @code{Xref} header.
18781 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18784 @item Multiple crossposts
18785 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18786 more than, say, 3 groups:
18789 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18793 @item Matching on the body
18794 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18795 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18796 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18797 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18798 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18799 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18800 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18803 @item Marking as read
18804 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18805 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18806 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18810 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18812 @item Negated character classes
18813 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18814 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18815 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18819 @node Reverse Scoring
18820 @section Reverse Scoring
18821 @cindex reverse scoring
18823 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18824 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18825 like this in your score file:
18829 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18834 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18835 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18838 @node Global Score Files
18839 @section Global Score Files
18840 @cindex global score files
18842 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18843 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18844 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18846 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18847 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18848 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18850 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18851 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18852 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18853 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18854 files are applicable to which group.
18856 To use the score file
18857 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18858 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18862 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18863 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18864 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18867 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18869 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18870 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18871 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18872 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18874 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18875 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18877 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18878 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18879 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18880 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18881 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18882 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18884 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18890 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18892 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18894 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18896 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18897 lowered out of existence.
18899 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18900 articles completely.
18903 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18904 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18905 old articles for a long time.
18908 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18909 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18910 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18911 holding our breath yet?
18915 @section Kill Files
18918 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18919 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18920 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18922 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18923 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18924 files into score files.
18926 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18927 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18928 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18929 that isn't a very good idea.
18931 Normal kill files look like this:
18934 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18935 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18939 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18940 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18942 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18943 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18946 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18951 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18952 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18953 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18956 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18957 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18958 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18961 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18966 @kindex M-k (Group)
18967 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18968 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18971 @kindex M-K (Group)
18972 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18973 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18976 Kill file variables:
18979 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18980 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18981 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18982 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18983 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18984 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18985 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18987 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18988 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18989 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18990 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18993 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18994 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18995 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18996 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18997 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18998 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18999 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
19000 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
19001 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
19003 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19004 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
19005 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
19010 @node Converting Kill Files
19011 @section Converting Kill Files
19013 @cindex converting kill files
19015 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
19016 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
19017 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
19020 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
19021 You can fetch it from
19022 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
19024 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
19025 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
19026 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
19034 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
19035 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
19036 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
19037 news articles generated every day.
19039 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
19040 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
19041 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
19042 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
19043 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
19044 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
19045 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
19046 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
19049 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
19050 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
19053 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
19054 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
19055 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
19056 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
19060 @node Using GroupLens
19061 @subsection Using GroupLens
19063 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
19065 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
19066 better bit in town at the moment.
19068 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
19072 @item gnus-use-grouplens
19073 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
19074 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
19075 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
19077 @item grouplens-pseudonym
19078 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
19079 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
19080 with the Better Bit Bureau.
19082 @item grouplens-newsgroups
19083 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
19084 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
19088 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
19089 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
19090 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
19091 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
19092 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
19093 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
19096 @node Rating Articles
19097 @subsection Rating Articles
19099 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
19100 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
19101 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
19102 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
19105 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
19110 @kindex r (GroupLens)
19111 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
19112 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
19115 @kindex k (GroupLens)
19116 @findex grouplens-score-thread
19117 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
19118 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
19119 threads in rec.humor.
19123 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
19124 the score of the article you're reading.
19129 @kindex n (GroupLens)
19130 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
19131 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
19134 @kindex , (GroupLens)
19135 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
19136 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
19140 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
19141 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
19144 @node Displaying Predictions
19145 @subsection Displaying Predictions
19147 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
19148 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
19149 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
19150 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
19151 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
19153 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
19154 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
19155 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
19156 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
19157 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
19158 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
19159 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
19160 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
19161 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
19162 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
19163 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
19164 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
19165 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
19167 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
19168 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
19169 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
19170 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
19172 The following are valid values for that variable.
19175 @item prediction-spot
19176 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
19179 @item confidence-interval
19180 A numeric confidence interval.
19182 @item prediction-bar
19183 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
19185 @item confidence-bar
19186 Numerical confidence.
19188 @item confidence-spot
19189 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
19191 @item prediction-num
19192 Plain-old numeric value.
19194 @item confidence-plus-minus
19195 Prediction +/- confidence.
19200 @node GroupLens Variables
19201 @subsection GroupLens Variables
19205 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
19206 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
19207 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
19208 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
19211 @item grouplens-bbb-host
19212 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
19215 @item grouplens-bbb-port
19216 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
19218 @item grouplens-score-offset
19219 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
19220 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
19223 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
19224 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
19225 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
19230 @node Advanced Scoring
19231 @section Advanced Scoring
19233 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
19234 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
19235 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
19236 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
19237 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
19239 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
19243 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
19244 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
19245 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
19249 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
19250 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
19252 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
19253 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
19254 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
19255 non-@code{nil} value.
19257 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
19258 operator, and various match operators.
19265 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19266 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
19267 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
19272 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
19273 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
19274 then this operator will return @code{false}.
19279 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
19280 logical negation of the value of its argument.
19284 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
19285 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
19286 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
19287 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
19288 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
19289 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
19290 the ancestry you want to go.
19292 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
19293 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
19294 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
19295 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
19296 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
19299 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
19300 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
19302 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19303 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19306 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19307 when he's talking about Gnus:
19311 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19312 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19318 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19322 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19329 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19330 really don't want to read what he's written:
19334 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19335 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19339 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19340 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19341 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19348 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19349 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19350 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19351 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19355 The possibilities are endless.
19358 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19359 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19361 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19362 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19363 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19364 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19365 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19366 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19367 @samp{subject}) first.
19369 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19370 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19381 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19382 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19388 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19395 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19396 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19401 @section Score Decays
19402 @cindex score decays
19405 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19406 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19407 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19408 use them in any sensible way.
19410 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19411 @findex gnus-decay-score
19412 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19413 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19414 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19415 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19416 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19417 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19418 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19419 definition of that function:
19422 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19424 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19425 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19428 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19430 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19432 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19435 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19436 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19437 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19438 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19442 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19445 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19448 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19452 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19453 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19454 the new score, which should be an integer.
19456 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19457 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19462 @include message.texi
19463 @chapter Emacs MIME
19464 @include emacs-mime.texi
19466 @include sieve.texi
19476 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19477 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19478 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19479 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19480 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19481 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19482 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19483 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19484 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19485 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19486 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19487 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19488 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19489 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19490 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19491 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19492 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19493 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19494 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19498 @node Process/Prefix
19499 @section Process/Prefix
19500 @cindex process/prefix convention
19502 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19503 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19505 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19506 command to be performed on.
19510 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19511 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19512 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19513 with the current one.
19515 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19516 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19517 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19519 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19520 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19523 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19524 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19526 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19529 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19530 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19531 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19532 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19534 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19535 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19536 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19537 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19538 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19539 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19540 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19541 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19543 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19544 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19545 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19546 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19547 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19551 @section Interactive
19552 @cindex interaction
19556 @item gnus-novice-user
19557 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19558 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19559 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19560 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19561 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19564 @item gnus-expert-user
19565 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19566 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19567 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19568 matter how strange.
19570 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19571 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19572 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19573 is @code{t} by default.
19575 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19576 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19577 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19582 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19583 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19584 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19586 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19587 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19588 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19589 rule of 900 to the current article.
19591 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19592 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19593 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19594 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19595 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19596 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19597 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19599 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19600 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19601 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19602 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19603 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19604 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19605 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19606 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19607 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19609 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19610 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19611 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19613 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19617 @node Formatting Variables
19618 @section Formatting Variables
19619 @cindex formatting variables
19621 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19622 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19623 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19624 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19625 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19628 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19629 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19630 lots of percentages everywhere.
19633 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19634 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19635 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19636 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19637 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19638 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19639 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19640 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19643 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19644 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19645 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19646 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19647 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19648 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19649 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19650 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19652 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19653 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19655 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19656 @findex gnus-update-format
19657 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19658 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19659 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19660 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19664 @node Formatting Basics
19665 @subsection Formatting Basics
19667 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19668 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19669 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19671 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19672 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19673 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19674 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19675 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19678 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19679 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19680 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19681 less than 4 characters wide.
19683 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19684 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19687 @node Mode Line Formatting
19688 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19690 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19691 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19692 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19693 with the following two differences:
19698 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19701 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19702 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19703 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19704 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19705 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19706 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19707 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19712 @node Advanced Formatting
19713 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19715 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19716 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19717 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19718 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19720 These are the valid modifiers:
19725 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19729 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19734 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19737 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19742 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19745 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19748 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19751 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19757 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19762 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19763 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19764 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19765 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19766 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19767 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19768 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19770 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19771 last operation, padding.
19773 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
19774 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
19775 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
19776 @xref{Compilation}.
19779 @node User-Defined Specs
19780 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19782 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19783 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19784 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19785 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19786 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19787 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19788 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19789 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19790 should protect against that.
19792 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19793 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19795 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19796 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19797 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19798 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19802 @node Formatting Fonts
19803 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19805 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19806 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19807 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19808 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19811 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19812 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19813 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19814 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19815 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19816 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19818 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19819 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19820 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19821 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19822 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19823 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19824 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19825 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19826 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19827 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19829 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19832 ;; Create three face types.
19833 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19834 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19836 ;; We want the article count to be in
19837 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19838 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19839 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19841 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19842 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19844 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19845 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19846 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19849 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19850 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19852 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19853 mode-line variables.
19855 @node Positioning Point
19856 @subsection Positioning Point
19858 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19859 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19860 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19862 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19864 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19865 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19866 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19868 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19869 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
19870 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19875 @subsection Tabulation
19877 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19878 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19879 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19880 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19882 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19883 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19885 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19886 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19887 This is the soft tabulator.
19889 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19890 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19891 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19894 @node Wide Characters
19895 @subsection Wide Characters
19897 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19898 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19899 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19901 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19902 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19903 these countries, that's not true.
19905 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19906 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19907 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19908 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
19912 @node Window Layout
19913 @section Window Layout
19914 @cindex window layout
19916 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19918 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19919 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19920 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19921 @code{t} by default.
19923 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19924 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19926 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19927 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19928 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19931 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19932 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19933 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19937 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19938 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19939 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19940 possible names is listed below.
19942 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19943 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19946 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19950 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19951 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19952 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19953 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19954 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19955 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19956 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19957 size spec per split.
19959 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19960 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19961 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19962 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19963 present) gets focus.
19965 Here's a more complicated example:
19968 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19969 (summary 0.25 point)
19970 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19974 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19975 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19976 occupy, not a percentage.
19978 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19979 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19980 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19981 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19982 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19985 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19988 (article (horizontal 1.0
19993 (summary 0.25 point)
19998 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19999 @code{horizontal} thingie?
20001 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
20002 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
20003 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
20004 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
20005 the screen is to be given to this strip.
20007 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
20008 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
20009 lines from the splits.
20011 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
20015 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
20016 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
20017 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
20018 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
20019 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
20020 size = number | frame-params
20021 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
20024 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
20025 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
20026 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
20027 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
20029 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
20030 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
20031 @cindex window height
20032 @cindex window width
20033 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
20034 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
20035 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
20036 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
20037 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
20038 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
20040 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
20041 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
20042 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
20043 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
20045 @findex gnus-configure-frame
20046 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
20047 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
20048 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
20049 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
20050 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
20051 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
20052 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
20053 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
20054 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
20055 configuration list.
20058 (gnus-configure-frame
20062 (article 0.3 point))
20070 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
20071 @code{frame} split:
20074 (gnus-configure-frame
20077 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
20079 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
20080 (user-position . t)
20081 (left . -1) (top . 1))
20086 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
20087 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
20088 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
20089 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
20090 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
20091 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
20092 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
20093 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
20095 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
20096 be found in its default value.
20098 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
20099 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
20100 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
20104 (message (horizontal 1.0
20105 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
20107 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
20112 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
20113 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
20114 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
20119 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
20120 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
20121 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
20122 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
20123 (name . "Message"))
20124 (message 1.0 point))))
20127 @findex gnus-add-configuration
20128 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
20129 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
20130 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
20131 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
20134 (gnus-add-configuration
20135 '(article (vertical 1.0
20137 (summary .25 point)
20141 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
20142 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
20143 Gnus has been loaded.
20145 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
20146 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
20147 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
20148 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
20149 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
20151 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
20152 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
20153 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
20156 @subsection Example Window Configurations
20160 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
20161 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
20176 (gnus-add-configuration
20179 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20181 (summary 0.16 point)
20184 (gnus-add-configuration
20187 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
20188 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
20194 @node Faces and Fonts
20195 @section Faces and Fonts
20200 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
20201 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
20202 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
20207 @section Compilation
20208 @cindex compilation
20209 @cindex byte-compilation
20211 @findex gnus-compile
20213 Remember all those line format specification variables?
20214 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
20215 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
20216 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
20217 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
20218 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
20221 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
20222 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
20223 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
20224 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
20225 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
20226 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
20227 them into the @file{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
20231 @section Mode Lines
20234 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
20235 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
20236 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
20237 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
20238 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
20239 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
20240 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
20243 @cindex display-time
20245 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
20246 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
20247 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
20248 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
20249 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
20250 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
20251 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
20252 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
20255 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
20257 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
20258 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
20260 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
20261 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
20262 (length display-time-string)))))
20265 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
20266 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
20267 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
20268 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
20269 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
20272 @node Highlighting and Menus
20273 @section Highlighting and Menus
20275 @cindex highlighting
20278 @vindex gnus-visual
20279 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
20280 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
20281 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
20284 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
20285 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
20288 @item group-highlight
20289 Do highlights in the group buffer.
20290 @item summary-highlight
20291 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20292 @item article-highlight
20293 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20295 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20297 Create menus in the group buffer.
20299 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20301 Create menus in the article buffer.
20303 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20305 Create menus in the server buffer.
20307 Create menus in the score buffers.
20309 Create menus in all buffers.
20312 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20313 buffers, you could say something like:
20316 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20319 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20322 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20325 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20326 in all Gnus buffers.
20328 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20331 @item gnus-mouse-face
20332 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20333 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20334 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20338 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20342 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20343 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20344 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20346 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20347 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20348 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20350 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20351 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20352 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20354 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20355 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20356 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20358 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20359 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20360 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20362 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20363 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20364 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20375 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20376 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20377 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20378 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20379 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20383 @vindex gnus-carpal
20384 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20385 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20386 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20391 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20392 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20393 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20395 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20396 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20397 Face used on buttons.
20399 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20400 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20401 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20403 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20404 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20405 Buttons in the group buffer.
20407 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20408 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20409 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20411 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20412 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20413 Buttons in the server buffer.
20415 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20416 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20417 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20420 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20421 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20422 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20430 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20431 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20432 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20433 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20434 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20436 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20437 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20438 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20440 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20441 been idle for thirty minutes:
20444 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20447 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20451 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20454 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20455 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20456 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20458 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20459 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20460 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20461 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20463 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20464 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20465 @var{idle} minutes.
20467 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20468 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20471 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20472 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20473 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20475 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20476 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20477 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20478 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20480 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20481 your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20483 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20485 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20488 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20489 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20490 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20491 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20492 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20493 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20494 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20495 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20496 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20497 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20498 @file{.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
20500 @findex gnus-demon-init
20501 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20502 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20503 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20504 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20505 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20507 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20508 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20509 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20518 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20519 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20521 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20522 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20523 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20524 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20527 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20528 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20529 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20530 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20532 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20533 this will make spam disappear.
20535 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20538 @item gnus-use-nocem
20539 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20540 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20543 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20544 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20545 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20546 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20547 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20549 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20550 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20551 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20552 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20553 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20554 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20556 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20557 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20559 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20560 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20561 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20562 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20563 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20564 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20565 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20566 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20567 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20568 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20570 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20571 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20574 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20577 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20578 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20581 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20584 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20587 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20588 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20590 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20591 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20592 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20593 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20595 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20596 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20599 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20601 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20609 This might be dangerous, though.
20611 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20612 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20613 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20614 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20616 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20617 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20618 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20619 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20620 might then see old spam.
20622 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20623 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20624 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20625 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20626 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20629 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20630 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20631 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20632 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20636 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20637 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20638 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20639 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20646 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20647 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20648 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20650 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20651 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20652 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20653 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20654 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20655 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20656 @code{undo} function.
20658 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20659 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20660 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20661 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20662 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20663 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20664 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20665 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20666 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20667 never be totally undoable.
20669 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20670 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20672 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20673 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20674 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20675 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20679 @node Predicate Specifiers
20680 @section Predicate Specifiers
20681 @cindex predicate specifiers
20683 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20684 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20685 to type all that much.
20687 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20692 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20693 gnus-article-unread-p)
20696 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20697 functions all take one parameter.
20699 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20700 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20701 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20702 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20707 @section Moderation
20710 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20711 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20712 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20715 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20719 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20722 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20724 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20729 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20730 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20731 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20734 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20735 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20738 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20739 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20743 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20746 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20747 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20751 @node Image Enhancements
20752 @section Image Enhancements
20754 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20755 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20758 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20759 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20760 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20761 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20774 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20775 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20776 over your shoulder as you read news.
20778 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20787 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20788 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20789 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20790 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20791 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20792 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20793 @code{GIF} formats.
20796 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
20797 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
20798 point your Web browser at
20799 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
20801 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20802 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20804 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
20805 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
20808 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
20812 @item gnus-picon-databases
20813 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
20814 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
20815 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20816 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
20817 "/usr/local/faces")}.
20819 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
20820 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
20821 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
20822 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20824 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
20825 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
20826 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
20827 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
20829 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
20830 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
20831 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
20832 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20833 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20835 @item gnus-picon-file-types
20836 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
20837 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20838 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
20843 @subsection Smileys
20848 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20853 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20854 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20856 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20857 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20860 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20863 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
20864 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20865 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20866 text and maps that to file names.
20868 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
20869 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
20870 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
20871 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
20872 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
20875 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20880 @item smiley-data-directory
20881 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20882 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20884 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
20885 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
20886 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
20895 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20896 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20897 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20901 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20902 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20903 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20904 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20912 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20913 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20914 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20915 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20917 The variable that controls this is the
20918 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20919 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20920 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20921 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20922 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20924 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20925 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20926 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20927 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20930 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20931 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20932 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20933 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20934 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20935 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20936 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20937 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20939 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20942 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20943 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20945 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20946 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
20947 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
20948 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
20949 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20950 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20951 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20952 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
20953 header data as a string.
20955 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
20956 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
20957 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
20958 randomly generated data.
20960 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
20961 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
20962 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20963 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20964 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20966 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
20967 like the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20970 (setq message-required-news-headers
20971 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20972 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20975 Using the last function would be something like this:
20978 (setq message-required-news-headers
20979 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20980 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20981 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20982 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20987 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20990 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20991 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20992 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20993 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20994 unusual directory structure.
20996 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20997 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20998 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20999 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
21001 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21002 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
21003 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
21004 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
21005 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
21006 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
21008 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21009 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
21010 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
21015 @subsubsection Toolbar
21019 @item gnus-use-toolbar
21020 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
21021 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
21022 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
21023 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
21025 @item gnus-group-toolbar
21026 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
21027 The toolbar in the group buffer.
21029 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
21030 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
21031 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
21033 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21034 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
21035 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
21046 @node Fuzzy Matching
21047 @section Fuzzy Matching
21048 @cindex fuzzy matching
21050 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
21051 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
21053 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
21054 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
21055 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
21057 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
21058 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
21059 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
21060 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
21061 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
21064 @node Thwarting Email Spam
21065 @section Thwarting Email Spam
21069 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21071 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
21072 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
21073 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
21074 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
21075 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
21076 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21077 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21078 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21081 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21082 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21083 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21084 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21085 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21086 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21088 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21091 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21092 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21093 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21094 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21095 * Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
21096 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
21099 @node The problem of spam
21100 @subsection The problem of spam
21102 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21103 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21105 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21107 First, some background on spam.
21109 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21110 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21111 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21112 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21113 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21114 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21115 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21116 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21118 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21119 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21120 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21121 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21122 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21123 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21124 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21125 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21126 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21129 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21130 spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21131 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21132 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21133 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21134 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21135 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21136 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21137 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21138 mail can be useful.
21140 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21141 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21142 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21143 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21144 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21145 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21146 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21147 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21148 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21150 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21151 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21152 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21153 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21154 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21155 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21156 because of the incident.
21158 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21159 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21160 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21161 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21162 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21163 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21164 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21165 to store the database of spam analyses.
21167 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21168 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21172 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21174 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21175 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21177 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21178 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21179 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21180 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21181 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21182 part of the mail address.)
21185 (setq message-default-news-headers
21186 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21189 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21190 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21195 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21196 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21197 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21203 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21204 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21205 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21206 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21208 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21209 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21210 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21211 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21212 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21213 your fancy split rule in this way:
21218 (to "larsi" "misc")
21222 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21223 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21224 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21225 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21226 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21228 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21229 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21230 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21231 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21232 cosmic balance somewhat.
21234 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21235 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21236 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21237 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21242 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21243 @cindex SpamAssassin
21244 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21247 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21248 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21249 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21250 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21251 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21252 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21253 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21255 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21256 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21257 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21258 Specifiers}) follows.
21262 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21265 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21268 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21269 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21270 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21273 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21277 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21280 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21281 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21285 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21286 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21287 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21288 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21291 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21293 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21295 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21296 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21298 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21300 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21301 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21305 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21306 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21307 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21310 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21311 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21313 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21314 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21315 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21319 @subsection Hashcash
21322 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21323 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21324 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21325 since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
21326 in smaller communities.
21328 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21329 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21330 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21331 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21332 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21333 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21334 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21335 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21336 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21337 one of them separately.
21340 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21341 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21342 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21343 header. For more details, and for the external application
21344 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21345 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21346 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21348 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21352 (require 'hashcash)
21353 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21356 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21357 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21358 development contrib directory.
21360 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21364 @item hashcash-default-payment
21365 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21366 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21367 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21368 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21370 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21371 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21372 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21373 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21374 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21375 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21376 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21377 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21381 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21385 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21386 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21387 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21388 a useful contribution, however.
21390 @node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21391 @subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
21392 @cindex spam filtering
21395 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21396 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21397 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
21398 @emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
21401 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21402 the following keyboard commands:
21412 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21413 @code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
21415 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
21416 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21417 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
21418 for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
21424 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21425 @code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
21427 You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
21433 Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
21434 variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
21437 The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
21438 Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
21439 @code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
21440 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
21441 mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
21442 that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
21443 processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
21444 will be detected later.
21446 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
21447 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
21448 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
21449 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
21450 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
21451 by customizing the corresponding variable
21452 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
21453 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
21454 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
21455 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
21456 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
21457 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
21458 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
21461 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
21462 they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
21463 these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
21464 every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
21465 mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to "unread" the article, or @kbd{d} for
21466 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
21467 spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
21468 will study them as spam samples.
21470 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21471 @code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
21472 @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
21473 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
21474 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
21475 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
21476 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
21477 should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
21479 @defvar spam-ham-marks
21480 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21481 consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
21482 killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
21485 @defvar spam-spam-marks
21486 You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
21487 consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
21490 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
21491 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
21492 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
21493 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
21494 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
21495 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
21498 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
21499 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
21500 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
21501 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
21502 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
21503 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
21504 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
21505 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
21506 @code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
21507 location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
21508 parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
21510 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
21511 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
21513 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
21514 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
21515 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
21516 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
21517 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
21518 customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
21519 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
21520 name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
21521 the spam articles are only expired.
21523 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21524 must add the following to your fancy split list
21525 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21531 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21532 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21533 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21535 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
21536 mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21537 @code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
21538 but you can customize it.
21540 @emph{Note for IMAP users}
21542 The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
21543 set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
21544 the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
21545 message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
21546 or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
21547 message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
21548 because it will slow IMAP down.
21550 @xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
21552 @emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
21553 into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
21554 longer spam or ham.}
21556 @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
21557 statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
21560 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21561 @code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
21564 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21565 * BBDB Whitelists::
21567 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
21569 * ifile spam filtering::
21570 * spam-stat spam filtering::
21571 * Extending the spam elisp package::
21574 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21575 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21576 @cindex spam filtering
21577 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21578 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21581 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21583 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
21584 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
21585 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
21586 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
21591 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21593 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
21594 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
21595 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
21596 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
21597 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
21601 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
21603 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
21604 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
21605 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
21609 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
21611 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21612 customizing the group parameters or the
21613 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21614 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21615 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
21619 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
21621 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21622 customizing the group parameters or the
21623 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21624 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21625 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21626 whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21627 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21631 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21632 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21633 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21634 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
21635 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21637 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21638 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
21639 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
21640 Emacs regular expression syntax.
21642 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
21643 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
21644 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
21645 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
21646 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21647 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21649 @node BBDB Whitelists
21650 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21651 @cindex spam filtering
21652 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21653 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21656 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
21658 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21659 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
21660 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
21661 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
21662 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
21663 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
21664 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
21668 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
21670 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
21671 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
21672 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
21673 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
21674 classified as spammers.
21678 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
21680 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21681 customizing the group parameters or the
21682 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21683 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
21684 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
21685 BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
21686 or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21691 @subsubsection Blackholes
21692 @cindex spam filtering
21693 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
21696 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
21698 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
21699 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
21700 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
21701 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
21702 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
21703 contains outdated servers.
21705 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
21706 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
21707 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
21708 time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
21709 performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
21710 but you can try it and see if it works for you.
21714 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
21716 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
21720 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
21722 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
21723 blackhole server list. When set to nil, it has no effect.
21727 @defvar spam-use-dig
21729 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
21730 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
21734 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
21735 ham processor for blackholes.
21737 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
21738 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
21739 @cindex spam filtering
21740 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
21743 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
21745 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
21746 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
21747 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
21748 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
21749 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
21750 message is spam or ham, respectively.
21754 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
21756 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
21757 the message, positively identify it as spam.
21761 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
21763 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
21764 the message, positively identify it as ham.
21768 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
21769 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
21772 @subsubsection Bogofilter
21773 @cindex spam filtering
21774 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
21777 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
21779 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21782 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
21783 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
21784 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
21785 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
21786 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
21787 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
21789 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
21790 threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
21793 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
21794 processing will be turned off.
21796 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
21800 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
21802 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
21803 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
21804 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
21805 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
21806 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
21807 installation documents for details.
21809 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
21813 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
21814 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21815 customizing the group parameters or the
21816 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21817 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
21818 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
21821 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
21822 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21823 customizing the group parameters or the
21824 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21825 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
21826 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
21827 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
21828 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21831 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
21833 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
21834 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
21835 database directory.
21839 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
21840 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
21841 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
21842 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
21843 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
21844 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
21846 @node ifile spam filtering
21847 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
21848 @cindex spam filtering
21849 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
21852 @defvar spam-use-ifile
21854 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
21855 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
21859 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
21861 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
21862 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
21863 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
21867 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
21869 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
21870 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
21871 the default value of @samp{spam}.
21874 @defvar spam-ifile-database-path
21876 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
21877 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
21881 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
21882 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
21883 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
21884 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
21887 @node spam-stat spam filtering
21888 @subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
21889 @cindex spam filtering
21890 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
21894 @xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
21896 @defvar spam-use-stat
21898 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
21899 spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
21903 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
21904 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21905 customizing the group parameters or the
21906 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21907 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
21908 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
21911 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
21912 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
21913 customizing the group parameters or the
21914 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
21915 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
21916 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
21917 of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
21918 @emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
21921 This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
21922 provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
21923 Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
21924 processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
21927 @node Extending the spam elisp package
21928 @subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
21929 @cindex spam filtering
21930 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
21931 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
21933 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
21934 incoming mail, provide the following:
21942 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
21943 "True if blackbox should be used.")
21948 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
21950 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
21955 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
21956 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
21957 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
21960 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
21967 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
21968 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
21971 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21972 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
21973 Only applicable to spam groups.")
21975 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
21976 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
21977 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
21985 (defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
21986 (spam-generic-register-routine
21987 ;; the spam function
21989 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
21990 (when (stringp from)
21991 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
21992 ;; the ham function
21995 (defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
21996 (spam-generic-register-routine
21997 ;; the spam function
21999 ;; the ham function
22001 (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
22002 (when (stringp from)
22003 (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
22006 Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
22007 @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
22008 more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
22009 that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
22010 sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
22011 senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
22016 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22017 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
22018 @cindex Paul Graham
22019 @cindex Graham, Paul
22020 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
22021 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
22022 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
22024 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
22025 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
22026 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
22027 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
22028 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
22029 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
22030 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
22031 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
22032 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
22035 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
22036 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
22037 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
22038 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
22039 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
22040 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
22041 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
22042 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
22044 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
22045 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
22046 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
22047 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
22048 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
22051 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
22052 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
22053 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
22056 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22057 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
22059 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
22060 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
22061 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
22062 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
22063 need several hundred emails in both collections.
22065 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
22066 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
22067 per mail. Use the following:
22069 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
22070 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
22071 is treated as one spam mail.
22074 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
22075 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
22076 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
22079 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
22080 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
22081 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
22082 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
22083 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
22084 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
22086 When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
22087 so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
22088 the articles. Then you can use directories such as
22089 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
22090 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
22093 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
22094 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
22095 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
22096 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
22099 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
22100 reset the dictionary.
22102 @defun spam-stat-reset
22103 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
22106 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
22107 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
22108 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
22109 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
22110 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
22111 only non-spam mails.
22113 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
22114 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
22115 to update the dictionary incrementally.
22118 @defun spam-stat-save
22119 Save the dictionary.
22122 @defvar spam-stat-file
22123 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
22124 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
22127 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
22128 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
22130 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
22131 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22134 (require 'spam-stat)
22138 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
22141 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
22142 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
22143 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
22144 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
22146 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
22147 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
22148 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
22149 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
22152 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22153 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22157 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
22158 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
22161 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
22162 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
22163 expression are considered potential spam.
22166 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22167 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22168 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22172 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
22173 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
22174 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
22175 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
22176 mails, when creating the dictionary!
22179 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22180 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22181 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22185 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
22186 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
22187 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
22188 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
22189 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
22193 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
22194 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
22195 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
22196 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
22201 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22202 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
22204 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
22206 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
22207 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
22208 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22211 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
22212 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
22213 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
22216 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
22217 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
22218 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
22219 already been processed as non-spam.
22222 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
22223 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
22224 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
22225 been processed as spam.
22228 @defun spam-stat-save
22229 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
22230 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22233 @defun spam-stat-load
22234 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
22235 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
22238 @defun spam-stat-score-word
22239 Return the spam score for a word.
22242 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
22243 Return the spam score for a buffer.
22246 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
22247 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
22248 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
22251 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
22252 following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
22255 (require 'spam-stat)
22259 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
22262 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22263 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22264 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22265 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22266 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22267 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22268 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22269 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22270 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22271 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22272 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
22273 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
22274 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22275 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22278 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
22281 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
22282 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
22283 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
22284 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
22285 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
22286 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
22289 @node Various Various
22290 @section Various Various
22296 @item gnus-home-directory
22297 @vindex gnus-home-directory
22298 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
22299 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
22301 @item gnus-directory
22302 @vindex gnus-directory
22303 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
22304 this variable, which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment
22305 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
22307 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
22308 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
22309 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
22310 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
22312 @item gnus-default-directory
22313 @vindex gnus-default-directory
22314 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
22315 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
22316 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
22317 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
22318 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
22319 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
22322 @vindex gnus-verbose
22323 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
22324 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
22325 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
22326 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
22327 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
22329 @item gnus-verbose-backends
22330 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
22331 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
22332 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
22334 @item nnheader-max-head-length
22335 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
22336 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
22337 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
22338 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
22339 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
22340 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
22341 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
22342 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
22343 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
22345 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
22346 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
22347 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
22348 read when doing the operation described above.
22350 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22351 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22353 @cindex invalid characters in file names
22354 @cindex characters in file names
22355 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
22356 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
22357 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
22360 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
22364 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
22365 Windows (phooey) systems.
22367 @item gnus-hidden-properties
22368 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
22369 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
22370 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
22371 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
22373 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
22374 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
22375 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
22376 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
22377 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
22379 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
22380 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
22381 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
22383 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22384 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
22386 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
22387 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
22388 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
22389 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
22392 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
22400 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
22401 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
22403 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
22405 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
22411 Not because of victories @*
22414 but for the common sunshine,@*
22416 the largess of the spring.
22420 but for the day's work done@*
22421 as well as I was able;@*
22422 not for a seat upon the dais@*
22423 but at the common table.@*
22428 @chapter Appendices
22431 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
22432 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
22433 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
22434 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
22435 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
22436 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
22437 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
22438 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
22439 * Frequently Asked Questions::
22446 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
22448 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
22449 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
22450 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
22451 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
22452 @samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
22453 @samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
22460 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22461 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22463 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22464 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22465 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22466 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22467 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22469 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22470 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22471 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22472 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22473 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22474 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22476 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22477 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22478 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22479 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22482 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22483 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22484 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22485 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22486 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22487 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22488 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22489 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22490 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22494 @node Gnus Versions
22495 @subsection Gnus Versions
22497 @cindex September Gnus
22499 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22500 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22504 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22505 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22506 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22508 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22509 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22511 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22512 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22514 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22515 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22517 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22518 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22521 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22523 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22524 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22525 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22526 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22527 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22528 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22531 @node Other Gnus Versions
22532 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22535 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22536 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22537 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22538 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22540 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22541 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
22542 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
22543 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
22550 What's the point of Gnus?
22552 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
22553 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
22554 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
22555 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
22556 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
22557 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
22558 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
22559 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
22560 keep track of millions of people who post?
22562 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
22563 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
22564 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
22565 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
22566 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
22567 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
22568 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
22569 every one of you to explore and invent.
22571 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
22572 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
22575 @node Compatibility
22576 @subsection Compatibility
22578 @cindex compatibility
22579 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
22580 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
22581 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
22586 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
22590 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
22593 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
22596 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
22597 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
22598 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
22599 important variables have their values copied into their global
22600 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
22601 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
22603 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
22604 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
22605 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
22606 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
22607 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
22611 @cindex highlighting
22612 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
22613 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
22614 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
22615 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
22616 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
22617 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
22620 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
22621 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
22622 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
22623 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
22625 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
22626 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
22627 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
22628 to stop doing it the old way.
22630 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
22632 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22634 @cindex reporting bugs
22636 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
22637 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
22638 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
22640 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
22641 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
22642 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
22643 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
22648 @subsection Conformity
22650 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
22651 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
22659 There are no known breaches of this standard.
22663 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
22665 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
22666 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
22667 We do have some breaches to this one.
22673 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
22674 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
22675 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
22676 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
22677 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
22682 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
22683 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
22684 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
22685 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
22687 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
22689 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
22691 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
22692 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
22694 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
22697 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
22698 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
22699 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
22700 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
22701 decoding (verification and decryption).
22703 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
22704 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
22705 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
22706 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
22708 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
22709 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
22711 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
22712 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
22713 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
22714 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
22715 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
22716 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
22717 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
22721 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
22722 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
22727 @subsection Emacsen
22733 Gnus should work on :
22741 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
22745 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
22746 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
22749 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
22750 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
22751 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
22755 @node Gnus Development
22756 @subsection Gnus Development
22758 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
22759 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
22760 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
22761 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
22762 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
22763 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
22764 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
22765 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
22767 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
22768 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
22769 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
22770 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
22771 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
22774 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
22775 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
22776 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
22777 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
22778 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
22780 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
22781 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
22782 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
22783 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
22784 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
22785 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
22786 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
22787 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
22788 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
22789 can't be assumed to do so.
22794 @subsection Contributors
22795 @cindex contributors
22797 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
22798 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
22799 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
22800 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
22801 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
22802 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
22803 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
22804 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
22805 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
22806 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
22808 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
22814 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
22817 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
22818 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
22819 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
22820 functionality and stuff.
22823 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
22824 well as numerous other things).
22827 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
22830 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
22833 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
22836 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
22839 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
22840 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
22843 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
22846 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
22847 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22850 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
22853 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
22856 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
22859 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
22862 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
22863 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
22866 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
22869 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
22872 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
22875 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
22879 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
22882 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
22885 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
22888 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
22889 well as autoconf support.
22893 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
22894 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
22896 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
22905 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
22909 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
22919 Alexei V. Barantsev,
22934 Massimo Campostrini,
22939 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
22940 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
22944 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
22947 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
22953 Michael Welsh Duggan,
22958 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
22962 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
22970 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
22972 Michelangelo Grigni,
22976 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
22978 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
22980 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
22987 François Felix Ingrand,
22988 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
22989 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
22991 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
23002 Peter Skov Knudsen,
23003 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
23005 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
23006 Thor Kristoffersen,
23009 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
23027 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
23028 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
23035 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
23040 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
23044 John McClary Prevost,
23050 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
23055 Christian von Roques,
23058 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
23065 Philippe Schnoebelen,
23067 Randal L. Schwartz,
23081 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
23086 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
23102 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
23107 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
23108 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
23109 (550kB and counting).
23111 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
23114 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
23115 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
23119 @subsection New Features
23120 @cindex new features
23123 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
23124 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
23125 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
23126 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
23127 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
23130 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
23131 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
23132 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
23135 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
23137 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
23142 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
23143 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
23146 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
23147 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
23150 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
23153 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
23154 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
23155 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
23158 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
23159 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
23160 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
23161 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23164 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
23165 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23168 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
23169 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
23170 (@pxref{The Active File}).
23173 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
23174 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
23177 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
23178 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
23179 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23182 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
23183 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
23184 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
23187 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus.el}) to avoid cluttering up
23188 the @file{.emacs} file.
23191 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
23192 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
23195 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
23196 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
23199 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
23200 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23203 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
23204 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
23207 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
23208 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23211 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
23214 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
23215 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
23218 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
23219 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
23222 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
23223 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
23226 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
23229 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
23230 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23233 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
23237 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
23241 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
23242 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
23245 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
23251 @node September Gnus
23252 @subsubsection September Gnus
23256 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
23260 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
23265 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
23266 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
23270 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
23271 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
23275 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
23279 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
23280 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
23283 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
23287 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
23290 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
23293 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
23296 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
23300 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
23301 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
23304 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
23308 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
23312 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
23316 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
23320 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
23323 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
23324 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
23327 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
23331 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
23332 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
23335 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
23338 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
23339 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
23340 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
23343 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
23347 The Gnus cache is much faster.
23350 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
23354 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
23355 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
23358 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
23359 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
23362 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
23363 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
23366 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
23367 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
23368 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
23371 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
23372 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
23375 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
23378 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23381 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
23384 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
23387 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
23388 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
23391 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
23395 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
23398 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
23403 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
23406 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
23410 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
23413 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
23417 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
23420 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
23423 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
23424 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
23427 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
23428 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
23432 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
23433 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
23436 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
23440 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
23441 buffer to allow easier treatment.
23444 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
23447 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
23451 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23455 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23456 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23459 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23463 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23464 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23467 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23468 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23471 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23475 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23478 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23481 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23487 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23489 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23493 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23500 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23503 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23504 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23507 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23508 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23512 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23513 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23516 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23519 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23520 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23523 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23527 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23528 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23532 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23533 Server Internals}).
23536 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23540 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
23543 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
23544 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
23547 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
23548 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
23549 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
23552 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
23553 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23556 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
23557 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
23560 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
23564 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
23565 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23568 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
23569 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23572 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
23576 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
23579 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
23583 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
23584 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23587 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
23588 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23591 A new command for reading collections of documents
23592 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
23593 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
23596 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
23600 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
23601 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
23604 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
23605 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
23606 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
23609 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
23610 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
23614 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
23618 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
23622 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
23627 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
23631 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
23635 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
23636 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
23639 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
23645 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
23647 New features in Gnus 5.6:
23652 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
23653 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
23654 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
23657 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
23658 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
23659 group, which is created automatically.
23662 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
23666 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
23669 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
23670 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
23673 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
23677 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
23680 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
23681 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
23684 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
23687 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
23688 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
23691 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
23692 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
23695 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
23696 control over simplification.
23699 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
23702 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
23706 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
23709 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
23712 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
23713 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
23714 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
23717 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
23718 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
23721 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
23725 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
23726 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
23729 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
23730 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
23733 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
23737 A history of where mails have been split is available.
23740 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
23743 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
23744 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
23747 A new function for citing in Message has been
23748 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
23751 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
23754 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
23758 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
23759 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
23762 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
23763 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
23766 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
23769 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
23773 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
23774 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
23776 New features in Gnus 5.8:
23781 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
23782 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
23784 If you used procmail like in
23787 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
23788 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
23789 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
23790 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
23793 this now has changed to
23797 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
23801 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
23802 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
23805 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
23806 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
23809 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
23810 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
23813 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
23814 called to position point.
23817 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
23818 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
23821 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
23822 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
23825 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
23826 subtly different manner.
23829 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
23830 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
23831 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
23834 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
23842 @section The Manual
23846 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
23847 either @code{texi2dvi}
23849 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
23850 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
23852 to get what you hold in your hands now.
23854 The following conventions have been used:
23859 This is a @samp{string}
23862 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
23865 This is a @file{file}
23868 This is a @code{symbol}
23872 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
23876 (setq flargnoze "yes")
23879 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
23882 (setq flumphel 'yes)
23885 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
23886 ever get them confused.
23890 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
23891 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
23892 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
23893 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
23894 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
23895 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
23896 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
23902 @node On Writing Manuals
23903 @section On Writing Manuals
23905 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
23906 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
23907 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
23908 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
23909 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
23910 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
23913 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
23914 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
23915 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
23918 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
23919 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
23924 @section Terminology
23926 @cindex terminology
23931 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
23932 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
23933 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
23934 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
23935 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
23939 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
23940 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
23941 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
23942 not posting, and replying is not following up.
23946 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
23950 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
23955 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
23956 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
23957 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
23958 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
23959 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
23960 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
23961 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
23962 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
23963 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
23965 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
23966 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
23967 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
23968 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
23969 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
23972 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
23973 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
23974 access the articles.
23976 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
23977 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
23978 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
23983 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
23984 default, way of getting news.
23988 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
23989 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
23994 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
23995 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
23999 A message that has been posted as news.
24002 @cindex mail message
24003 A message that has been mailed.
24007 A mail message or news article
24011 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
24016 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
24021 A line from the head of an article.
24025 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
24026 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
24030 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
24031 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
24032 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
24033 normal @sc{head} format.
24037 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
24038 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
24039 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
24040 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
24041 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
24042 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
24044 @item killed groups
24045 @cindex killed groups
24046 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
24047 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
24049 @item zombie groups
24050 @cindex zombie groups
24051 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
24054 @cindex active file
24055 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
24056 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
24057 is rather large, as you might surmise.
24060 @cindex bogus groups
24061 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
24062 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
24063 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
24066 @cindex activating groups
24067 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
24068 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
24069 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
24073 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
24075 @item select method
24076 @cindex select method
24077 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
24080 @item virtual server
24081 @cindex virtual server
24082 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
24083 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
24084 whole is a virtual server.
24088 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
24089 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
24092 @item ephemeral groups
24093 @cindex ephemeral groups
24094 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
24095 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
24096 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
24099 @cindex solid groups
24100 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
24101 group buffer are solid groups.
24103 @item sparse articles
24104 @cindex sparse articles
24105 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
24106 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
24110 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
24111 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
24115 @cindex thread root
24116 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
24117 articles in the thread.
24121 An article that has responses.
24125 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
24129 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
24130 specified by RFC 1153.
24136 @node Customization
24137 @section Customization
24138 @cindex general customization
24140 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
24141 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
24142 for some quite common situations.
24145 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
24146 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
24147 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
24148 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
24152 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
24153 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
24155 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
24156 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
24157 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
24161 @item gnus-read-active-file
24162 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
24163 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
24164 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24165 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
24166 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
24168 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
24169 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
24170 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
24171 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
24175 @node Slow Terminal Connection
24176 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
24178 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
24179 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
24180 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
24184 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
24185 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
24186 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
24187 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
24188 horizontal and vertical recentering.
24190 @item gnus-visible-headers
24191 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
24192 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
24193 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
24194 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
24196 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
24198 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
24199 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
24200 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
24203 @item gnus-use-full-window
24204 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
24205 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
24206 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
24207 want to read them anyway.
24209 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
24210 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
24214 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
24215 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
24216 lines, which might save some time.
24220 @node Little Disk Space
24221 @subsection Little Disk Space
24224 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
24225 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
24229 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
24230 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
24231 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24232 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24235 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
24236 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
24237 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
24238 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
24241 @item gnus-save-killed-list
24242 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
24243 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
24244 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
24245 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
24251 @subsection Slow Machine
24252 @cindex slow machine
24254 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
24255 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
24257 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
24258 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
24260 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
24261 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
24262 summary buffer faster.
24266 @node Troubleshooting
24267 @section Troubleshooting
24268 @cindex troubleshooting
24270 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
24278 Make sure your computer is switched on.
24281 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
24282 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
24286 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
24287 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
24288 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
24289 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
24292 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
24296 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
24297 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
24298 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
24299 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
24300 something like that.
24303 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
24306 @cindex reporting bugs
24308 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
24310 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
24311 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
24312 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
24313 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
24315 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
24316 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
24317 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
24318 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
24321 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
24322 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
24323 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
24324 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
24325 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
24326 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
24328 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
24329 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
24330 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
24334 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
24335 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
24338 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
24339 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
24340 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
24341 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
24342 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
24343 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
24344 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
24345 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
24346 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
24347 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
24348 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
24349 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
24350 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
24351 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
24356 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
24357 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
24358 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press C-j when things are
24359 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
24360 helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
24361 the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
24362 documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
24363 that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
24364 interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
24365 gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-packagre RET message}. Then perform
24366 the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
24367 then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
24368 If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
24369 slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
24370 wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
24371 elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
24372 profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
24373 Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
24375 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
24376 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
24378 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
24379 @cindex ding mailing list
24380 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
24381 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
24385 @node Gnus Reference Guide
24386 @section Gnus Reference Guide
24388 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
24389 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
24390 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
24391 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
24394 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
24395 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
24396 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
24397 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
24398 and general methods of operation.
24401 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
24402 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
24403 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
24404 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
24405 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
24406 * Group Info:: The group info format.
24407 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
24408 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
24409 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
24413 @node Gnus Utility Functions
24414 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
24415 @cindex Gnus utility functions
24416 @cindex utility functions
24418 @cindex internal variables
24420 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
24421 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
24422 Below is a list of the most common ones.
24426 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
24427 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
24428 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
24430 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
24431 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
24432 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
24434 @item gnus-group-real-name
24435 @findex gnus-group-real-name
24436 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
24439 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
24440 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
24441 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
24442 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
24444 @item gnus-get-info
24445 @findex gnus-get-info
24446 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
24448 @item gnus-group-unread
24449 @findex gnus-group-unread
24450 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
24454 @findex gnus-active
24455 The active entry for @var{group}.
24457 @item gnus-set-active
24458 @findex gnus-set-active
24459 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
24461 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24462 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
24463 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
24466 @item gnus-continuum-version
24467 @findex gnus-continuum-version
24468 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
24469 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
24472 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
24473 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24474 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24476 @item gnus-news-group-p
24477 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24478 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24480 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24481 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24482 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24484 @item gnus-server-to-method
24485 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24486 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24488 @item gnus-server-equal
24489 @findex gnus-server-equal
24490 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24492 @item gnus-group-native-p
24493 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24494 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24496 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24497 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24498 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24500 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24501 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24502 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24504 @item group-group-find-parameter
24505 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24506 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24507 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24509 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24510 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24511 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24513 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24514 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24515 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24517 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24518 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24519 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24520 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24523 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24527 @item gnus-read-method
24528 @findex gnus-read-method
24529 Prompts the user for a select method.
24534 @node Back End Interface
24535 @subsection Back End Interface
24537 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24538 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24539 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24540 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24541 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
24542 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
24544 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
24545 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
24546 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
24547 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
24548 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
24549 been opened, the function should fail.
24551 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
24552 name. Take this example:
24556 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
24557 (nntp-port-number 4324))
24560 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
24561 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
24563 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
24564 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
24565 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
24567 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
24568 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
24569 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
24571 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
24572 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
24573 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
24574 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
24575 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
24576 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
24579 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
24580 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
24581 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
24582 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
24585 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
24586 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
24587 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
24588 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
24589 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
24590 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
24591 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
24592 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
24593 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
24594 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
24596 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
24597 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
24598 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
24599 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
24600 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
24601 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
24602 of numbers as long as possible.
24604 Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
24605 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
24606 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
24608 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
24611 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
24614 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
24615 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
24616 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
24617 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
24618 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
24619 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
24623 @node Required Back End Functions
24624 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
24628 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
24630 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
24631 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
24632 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
24633 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
24635 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
24636 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
24637 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
24638 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
24640 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
24641 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
24642 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
24643 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
24644 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
24645 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
24646 number, do maximum fetches.
24648 Here's an example HEAD:
24651 221 1056 Article retrieved.
24652 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
24653 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
24654 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
24655 Subject: Re: Something very droll
24656 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
24657 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
24659 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
24660 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
24661 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
24665 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
24666 these in the data buffer.
24668 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
24672 head = error / valid-head
24673 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
24674 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
24675 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
24676 header = <text> eol
24679 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
24680 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
24684 nov-buffer = *nov-line
24685 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
24686 field = <text except TAB>
24689 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
24693 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
24695 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
24696 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
24698 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
24699 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
24700 server. In fact, it should do so.
24702 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
24703 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
24706 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
24708 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
24709 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
24712 There should be no data returned.
24715 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
24717 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
24718 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
24719 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
24720 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
24722 There should be no data returned.
24725 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
24727 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
24728 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
24729 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
24730 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
24732 There should be no data returned.
24735 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
24737 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
24739 There should be no data returned.
24742 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
24744 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
24745 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
24746 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
24747 it would be nice if that were possible.
24749 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
24750 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
24751 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
24752 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
24753 into its article buffer.
24755 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
24756 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
24757 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
24758 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
24759 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
24760 on successful article retrieval.
24763 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
24765 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
24766 making @var{group} the current group.
24768 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
24771 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
24774 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
24777 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
24778 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
24779 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
24780 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
24781 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
24782 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
24783 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
24784 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
24785 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
24789 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
24790 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
24791 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
24795 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24797 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
24798 a no-op on most back ends.
24800 There should be no data returned.
24803 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
24805 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
24808 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
24811 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
24812 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
24815 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
24816 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
24817 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
24818 and the highest as 0.
24821 active-file = *active-line
24822 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
24824 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
24827 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
24828 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
24829 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
24832 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
24834 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
24835 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
24836 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
24837 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
24838 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
24839 clear if the posting could not be completed.
24841 There should be no result data from this function.
24846 @node Optional Back End Functions
24847 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
24851 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
24853 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
24854 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
24855 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
24857 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
24858 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
24859 former is in the same format as the data from
24860 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
24861 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
24864 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
24868 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
24870 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
24871 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
24872 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
24873 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
24874 should return a non-nil value.
24876 There should be no result data from this function.
24879 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
24881 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
24882 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
24883 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
24884 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
24885 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
24886 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
24887 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
24888 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
24890 There should be no result data from this function.
24893 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
24895 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
24896 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
24897 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
24898 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
24899 propagate the mark information to the server.
24901 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
24904 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
24907 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
24908 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
24909 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
24910 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
24911 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
24912 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
24913 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
24914 possible, not limit itself to these.
24916 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
24917 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
24918 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
24919 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
24921 An example action list:
24924 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
24925 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
24926 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
24929 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
24930 mark on (currently not used for anything).
24932 There should be no result data from this function.
24934 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
24936 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
24937 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
24938 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
24939 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
24940 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
24942 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
24943 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
24944 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
24947 There should be no result data from this function.
24950 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
24952 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
24953 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
24954 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
24955 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
24956 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
24957 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
24958 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
24960 There should be no result data from this function.
24963 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
24965 The result data from this function should be a description of
24969 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
24971 description = <text>
24974 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
24976 The result data from this function should be the description of all
24977 groups available on the server.
24980 description-buffer = *description-line
24984 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
24986 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
24987 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
24988 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
24989 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
24990 in the active buffer format.
24992 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
24993 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
24994 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
24995 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
24996 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
24997 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
24998 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
25001 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
25003 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
25005 There should be no return data.
25008 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
25010 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
25011 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
25012 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
25013 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
25014 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
25017 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
25020 There should be no result data returned.
25023 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
25026 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
25027 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
25029 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
25030 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
25031 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
25032 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
25033 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
25034 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
25036 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
25037 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
25040 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25041 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25043 There should be no data returned.
25046 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
25048 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
25049 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
25050 this function in short order.
25052 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
25053 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
25055 The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
25056 article for that group.
25058 There should be no data returned.
25061 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
25063 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
25064 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
25066 There should be no data returned.
25069 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
25071 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
25072 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
25073 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
25075 There should be no data returned.
25078 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
25080 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
25081 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
25083 There should be no data returned.
25088 @node Error Messaging
25089 @subsubsection Error Messaging
25091 @findex nnheader-report
25092 @findex nnheader-get-report
25093 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
25094 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
25095 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
25096 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
25097 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
25098 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
25101 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
25103 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
25106 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
25107 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
25108 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
25109 takes one argument---the server symbol.
25111 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
25112 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
25113 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
25116 @node Writing New Back Ends
25117 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
25119 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
25120 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
25121 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
25122 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
25123 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
25126 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
25127 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
25128 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
25130 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
25131 package called @code{nnoo}.
25133 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
25134 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
25140 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
25141 parameters. For instance:
25144 (nnoo-declare nndir
25148 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
25149 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
25152 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
25153 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
25154 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
25156 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
25157 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
25158 a function in those back ends.
25161 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25162 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25163 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25166 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
25167 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
25168 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
25170 @item nnoo-define-basics
25171 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
25175 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25179 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
25180 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
25181 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
25183 @item nnoo-map-functions
25184 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
25185 functions from the parent back ends.
25188 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25189 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25190 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
25193 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
25194 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
25195 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
25196 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
25199 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
25200 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
25201 haven't already been defined.
25207 nnmh-request-newgroups)
25211 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
25212 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
25213 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
25218 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
25221 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
25222 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
25226 (require 'nnheader)
25230 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
25232 (nnoo-declare nndir
25235 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
25236 "Where nndir will look for groups."
25237 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
25239 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
25240 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
25243 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
25245 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
25246 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
25247 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
25249 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
25250 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
25252 ;;; Interface functions.
25254 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
25256 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
25257 (setq nndir-directory
25258 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
25260 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
25261 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
25262 (push `(nndir-current-group
25263 ,(file-name-nondirectory
25264 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25266 (push `(nndir-top-directory
25267 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
25269 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
25271 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
25272 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25273 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
25274 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
25275 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
25279 nnmh-status-message
25281 nnmh-request-newgroups))
25287 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25288 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
25290 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
25291 @findex gnus-declare-backend
25292 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
25293 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
25294 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
25296 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
25297 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
25302 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
25305 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
25307 The abilities can be:
25311 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
25313 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
25315 This back end supports both mail and news.
25317 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
25320 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
25321 articles and groups.
25323 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
25324 true for almost all back ends.
25325 @item prompt-address
25326 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
25327 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
25328 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
25332 @node Mail-like Back Ends
25333 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
25335 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
25336 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
25337 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
25338 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
25341 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
25342 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
25343 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
25346 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
25347 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
25350 This function takes four parameters.
25354 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
25357 @item exit-function
25358 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
25360 @item temp-directory
25361 Where the temporary files should be stored.
25364 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
25365 performed for one group only.
25368 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
25369 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
25370 find the article number assigned to this article.
25372 The function also uses the following variables:
25373 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
25374 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
25375 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
25376 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
25380 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
25381 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
25385 @node Score File Syntax
25386 @subsection Score File Syntax
25388 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
25389 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
25390 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
25392 Here's a typical score file:
25396 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
25403 BNF definition of a score file:
25406 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
25407 element = rule / atom
25408 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
25409 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
25410 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
25411 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
25413 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
25414 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
25415 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
25416 date-header = "date"
25417 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25418 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25419 score = "nil" / <integer>
25420 date = "nil" / <natural number>
25421 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
25422 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
25423 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
25424 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
25425 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25426 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25427 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
25428 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
25429 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
25430 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
25431 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
25432 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
25433 exclude-files / read-only / touched
25434 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
25435 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
25436 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
25437 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
25438 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
25439 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
25440 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
25441 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
25442 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
25443 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
25444 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
25445 eval = "eval" space <form>
25446 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
25449 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
25452 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
25453 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
25454 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
25455 one looong line, then that's ok.
25457 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
25458 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
25462 @subsection Headers
25464 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
25465 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
25466 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
25467 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
25469 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
25470 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
25471 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
25472 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
25473 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
25474 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
25475 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
25477 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
25478 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
25479 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
25480 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25481 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25483 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25484 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25490 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25491 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25493 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25494 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25495 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25496 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25498 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25502 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25505 is transformed into
25508 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25511 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25512 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25515 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25518 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25519 is slightly tricky:
25522 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25528 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25531 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25537 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
25544 and is equal to the previous range.
25546 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
25547 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
25548 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
25552 range = simple-range / normal-range
25553 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
25554 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
25555 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
25556 number *[ " " contents ]
25559 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
25560 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
25561 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
25562 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
25563 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
25568 @subsection Group Info
25570 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
25571 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
25572 describes the group.
25574 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
25575 second is a more complex one:
25578 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
25580 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
25581 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
25583 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
25586 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
25587 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
25588 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
25589 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
25590 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
25591 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
25592 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
25593 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
25594 this section is about.
25596 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
25597 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
25598 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
25600 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
25603 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
25604 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
25605 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25606 group = quote <string> quote
25607 ralevel = rank / level
25608 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25609 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
25610 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25612 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
25613 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
25614 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
25615 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
25618 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
25619 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
25622 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
25623 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
25626 @item gnus-info-group
25627 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
25628 @findex gnus-info-group
25629 @findex gnus-info-set-group
25630 Get/set the group name.
25632 @item gnus-info-rank
25633 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
25634 @findex gnus-info-rank
25635 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
25636 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
25638 @item gnus-info-level
25639 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
25640 @findex gnus-info-level
25641 @findex gnus-info-set-level
25642 Get/set the group level.
25644 @item gnus-info-score
25645 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
25646 @findex gnus-info-score
25647 @findex gnus-info-set-score
25648 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
25650 @item gnus-info-read
25651 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
25652 @findex gnus-info-read
25653 @findex gnus-info-set-read
25654 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
25656 @item gnus-info-marks
25657 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
25658 @findex gnus-info-marks
25659 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
25660 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
25662 @item gnus-info-method
25663 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
25664 @findex gnus-info-method
25665 @findex gnus-info-set-method
25666 Get/set the group select method.
25668 @item gnus-info-params
25669 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
25670 @findex gnus-info-params
25671 @findex gnus-info-set-params
25672 Get/set the group parameters.
25675 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
25676 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
25678 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
25679 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
25680 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
25681 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
25684 @node Extended Interactive
25685 @subsection Extended Interactive
25686 @cindex interactive
25687 @findex gnus-interactive
25689 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
25690 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
25691 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
25694 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
25695 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
25700 The best thing to do would have been to implement
25701 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
25702 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
25703 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
25704 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
25705 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
25706 @code{interactive}.
25708 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
25713 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
25714 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
25718 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
25719 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
25720 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
25723 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
25727 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
25731 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
25737 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
25738 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
25742 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
25743 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
25744 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
25746 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
25747 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
25748 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
25749 Gnus, that's very useful.
25751 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
25752 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
25753 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
25754 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
25755 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
25756 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
25757 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
25758 following function:
25761 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
25765 (,function ,@@args))
25769 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
25770 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
25771 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
25774 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
25775 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
25776 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
25778 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
25779 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
25780 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
25783 @node Various File Formats
25784 @subsection Various File Formats
25787 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
25788 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
25792 @node Active File Format
25793 @subsubsection Active File Format
25795 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
25796 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
25799 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
25802 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
25803 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
25804 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
25805 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
25806 no.general 1000 900 y
25809 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
25812 active = *group-line
25813 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
25814 group = <non-white-space string>
25816 high-number = <non-negative integer>
25817 low-number = <positive integer>
25818 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
25821 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
25822 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
25825 @node Newsgroups File Format
25826 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
25828 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
25829 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
25830 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
25833 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
25834 Here's the definition:
25838 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
25839 group = <non-white-space string>
25841 description = <string>
25846 @node Emacs for Heathens
25847 @section Emacs for Heathens
25849 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
25850 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
25851 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
25852 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
25853 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
25854 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
25855 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
25859 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
25860 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
25865 @subsection Keystrokes
25869 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
25872 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
25875 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
25876 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
25877 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
25878 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
25879 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
25880 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
25882 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
25883 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
25884 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
25885 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
25886 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
25887 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
25888 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
25890 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
25891 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
25892 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
25893 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
25894 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
25895 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
25896 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
25898 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
25899 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
25900 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
25901 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
25902 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
25908 @subsection Emacs Lisp
25910 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
25911 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
25912 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
25913 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
25915 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
25916 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
25917 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
25918 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
25919 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
25920 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
25921 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
25924 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
25925 write the following:
25928 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
25931 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
25932 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
25933 you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
25936 If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
25937 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
25938 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
25939 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
25940 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
25942 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
25943 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
25944 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
25948 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
25952 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
25955 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
25956 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
25959 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
25962 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
25963 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
25966 @include gnus-faq.texi
25986 @c Local Variables:
25988 @c coding: iso-8859-1
25990 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
25991 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
25992 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
25993 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
25994 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref